Eternal Love
by Zeshin-kun
Summary: He was a blitzer, the star of the Zanarkand Abes. She was the incredible songstress. They met their end horribly one fateful day at the hands of the sinister soldiers of Bevelle, but how did they begin? What events led to their destined demise?
1. Prologue

_Prologue: Imminent Death_

I stared at Vegnagun. This was the creature that ensured Bevelle's victory over Zanarkand. It was their trump card if the summoners, like Lenne, could defeat the other machina. However, I had other plans. It would be my trump card. I would use this monstrosity to ransack Bevelle. You can't attack another city if yours is in shambles, now can you? They'd have to call back their army and focus their attention on me. That way, Lenne would be safe from harm. Of course, once that military of theirs returned, I'd most likely not survive, but I didn't care. So long as she would be spared, I was fine with death.

"You're my only hope in saving Lenne," I heard myself mutter.

Suddenly, loud sirens and red lights went off. Apparently, I'd tripped some sort of alarm. I turned around a bit to greet the annoying guests which I was sure would arrive momentarily, but they didn't come. Eventually, the alarm stopped and I should have been relieved… Something wasn't right. Whatever it was, it would have to wait. I couldn't let the possibilities for the no show distract me when I was so close to achieving my goal.

I quickly walked up to Vegnagun, worrying about time. I reached it and climbed aboard its cockpit. It was strange. My back was to the front of the machina. Not only that, but the controls looked more like an organ for one of Lenne's concerts than something that controlled a city buster. Although, I guess you could think of it like this organ plays music that tames the beast, giving you control of it. Bevelle sure had some strange engineers. In any case, that wasn't something I should be thinking about. What I needed to focus on was getting this thing running so I could blow a few holes all over town. I needed to cause enough damage to the city so that not only would Lenne be safe from this one Machina War, but safe from any future wars, too.

I had never driven a machina before so luckily, this organ control panel wasn't too difficult to operate. I played a nice, well, fitting tune and the massive beast started to activate. Its mouth opened, or rather the lower jaw, and something moved within it. It was the primary weapon of this monster. However, right before the cannon was about to shoot out of its mouth, I heard her.

"You must stop! That's enough!" I turned around to face her.

"Lenne!" My eyes grew wide in fear of the sight. She was standing there with her arms held out, a desperate ploy to stop my plan. I cringed. She knew my intentions.

Suddenly, we heard footsteps and she gasped when she turned around. There were several guards heading for her, firearms in hand. I quickly left the cockpit and embraced her in my arms. This wasn't how I wanted it to go. The spotlights came on to shine on the intruders, us. I looked up and turned my head towards the guards. I hated them. I hated each and every one of them because I had failed her and they were making sure of that. The guards took aim at the two of us. They were going to kill us right there. I looked back at Lenne and tried to comfort her by giving her a fake look of reassurance. She looked back at me and her eyes told me that she also knew we were dead. She had known her life would end should she stop me like this, but she did so regardless. Her eyes moved a little downward before she looked at me again, a tear sliding down her face. Then, she smiled at me. It killed me right there. She was fine with her fate. She knew I failed her, but she smiled anyway. I couldn't protect her. I couldn't save her. I failed. My heart shattered.

Finally, the rounds of ammunition were released from their weapons, the explosion from their barrels signaling the end of our lives. They say when you're about to die, the events of your life replay themselves before you. It was the most ridiculous thing in the world. How would you be able to think about past events when your life is in jeopardy? Now… now that I was actually at the end of my days, I realized just how painfully true it was…


	2. Chapter 1

_Chapter 1: First Impressions_

No, I didn't relive my entire life. I didn't get to see those years following my parents' deaths. In fact, the first thing I saw was the day I met Lenne for the very first time… well, in person, I mean. I, and just about every guy, every girl, every person in Zanarkand had heard of Lenne. She was the songstress extraordinaire.

It all started after one typical day of blitzball practice. Me and the guys were going to hang out. While we were walking around, deciding on what to do, one of them, my best friend who's known for thinking up stuff like this, suddenly came up with the idea that we should all go see Lenne's concert. We were just gonna goof around and stare at her the entire time. At this time, the female presence on the team expectantly rolled their eyes. Anyway, we'd do that and then we'd sneak in backstage and one of us would try to hook up with her. So I figured, why not. After all, I hadn't anything better to do.

We snuck into the concert at around eight o'clock. Actually, we didn't even need to sneak in at all, since all of us were on the Zanarkand Abes and we were just as popular as little miss popstar was. After all, I was Shuyin, err rather, Tidus, and I was the best blitzball player anyone had ever seen. I called myself Tidus because I didn't want my fans to know my real name. They'd be able to find my address and stuff and I'd never hear the end of it. I'd be getting phone calls and fan mail and fan girls at the door 24/7. I mean it wouldn't be that bad to see so many girls all over me, but I knew that sooner or later, I'd have enough of that. I also wasn't much for crowds. Anyway, we snuck in and took seats right next to the door that lead backstage. We watched the concert up until it finished at eleven… Boy, I sure wasn't expecting this to happen from it…

At first I figured this girl's singing would be just like any other shallow singing sensation and I'd just get bored and fall asleep from the false lyrics. However, when Lenne got up and sang…

Chakushin rireki

Anata no namae ga

Konnani mo watashi

Shiawase ni kaeru

Rusuden no koe

Kurikaeshi kiiteru

Keitai dake ga

Futari no kyori wo tsunagu

Anata to au tabi ni mata

Atarashii watashi ga umareru

Dakara kuyandari shinai no

Doushite hontou no kiseki wa

Shizuka ni kagayaku no anata wo

Aishite kara wa namida sae mo

Atatakaku koborete yuku no

Ososugita deai mo sou ima

Unmei to mitsume aeru no

Aishite kizu tsuku no naraba

Sono kizu mo itoshiku omou

Paaru muun no yoru

Anata kara no denwa

Beranda de hanashitetara

Chikaku natta ki ga shita

Omoide ni nanka dekinai

Ima futari ikiteru aishiteru

Dakara mayottari shinai no

Doushite hontou no kiseki wa

Hakanaku kagayaku no anata wo

Aishite hajimete shitta no

Hontou no yasashisa to kodoku

Iki wo suru you ni nemuru you ni

Anata wo aishitai zutto

Anata mo ima kono yoru dokoka de

Hitori de iru to shinjitai

Doushite hontou no kiseki wa

Shizuka ni kagayaku no anata wo

Aishite kara wa namida sae mo

Atatakaku koborete yuku no

Ososugita deai mo sou ima

Unmei to mitsume aeru no

Aishite kizu tsuku no naraba

Sono kizu mo itoshiku omou

… I was carried into the clouds by every note. Her melody was unbelievably soothing and serene. This girl could sing! She really could sing! Not only that, but her singing didn't even sound fake like all those other divas out there. It was… amazing…

When the concert ended, the guys dragged me off to the back and started talking about who would be the guy that would have the job of getting a date. They voted aloud and all fingers, girls included, pointed to me.

"Wait! What? No! Hold on a sec!" I kept saying all those things to the guys as they grabbed me and shoved me into her dressing room. She was standing there, looking at herself in the mirror, when I came crashing in.

"What? Who are you?" She asked nervously, turning to look at me.

I froze. I don't even know why I froze. I mean, she knew who I was. Everyone in Zanarkand knew who I was. However, at that moment, I just forgot everything and backed up into the door. I really wanted to talk to her and get to know her. I also wanted for her to know that I was being since and having my friends eavesdropping wouldn't really help. I shut the door and locked it and she looked a bit scared. I didn't know why. Then, about a grand total of five seconds later, I realized exactly why. I, some guy who just barged into her dressing room like some kind of crazed fan boy, just shut the door behind me and locked it, leaving the two of us alone. I must have seemed like some sort of psycho rapist to her.

"Oh no. Wait. No. I. The door. I mean. You see. I." Nice speech, huh?

She couldn't help but crack up at my nervousness. I heard laughter from two different places. One was from Lenne, the other was from behind the door. My friends had heard the entire thing and were rolling on the floor laughing like a pack of hyenas. I guess that door wasn't all too sound proof.

"You know, you might want to get some speaking lessons." She mused. She was mocking me. I was so embarrassed.

"I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to scare you and make you think I was some kind of perverted fan boy." I stated, trying to get back my dignity by using coherent sentences in my speech again.

"Well, I won't be afraid of you if you could tell me who you are." WHAT! She didn't know who I was! She really had no idea?

"I'm Shuyin." Wait a second. Shouldn't I be telling her I was Tidus? Nah. She wasn't one of "those" people.

"I'm Lenne. It's nice to meet you, Shuyin."

"So, uh, would ya like to have a cup of coffee with me sometime?"

Coffee… what was I thinking? I didn't even like coffee. She put her finger up to her chin and pondered, jokingly. I guess I had definitely taken away any seriousness she would have ever shown me with my entrance.

"Hmm, I'll have to think about that." She kept up this stunt of hers for a while until she saw how annoyed I was getting. "I'm just kidding! I'd love to. But, I don't drink coffee so how about I just give you my number and you can call me when you think of something?"

I couldn't help but smile at her since she was being so kind to this klutz. "Ok, sure!"

She wrote her number down and handed it to me. I took it, smiled and decided I should high tail it out of there before I lose anymore of my dignity.

"Oh wait! Watch out! You didn't unlock the…" Smash. My face hit the door hard and again I heard two sides of laughter. "You didn't unlock the door." Lenne said to me with giggle after giggle.

I quickly unlocked the door and looked back at her with my million dollar smile to try and mitigate my humiliation, but when I turned back to open the door, I smacked it right into my face again. That was it. I lost all of my self-respect right there and saw my friends crying from laughing too hard. They were on the floor, gasping for air, and Lenne was starting to tear as well. I'd never hear the end of this. My friends would never let me live this catastrophe of a first meeting down.

The next day, I called her. I asked her if she wanted to go see that new movie that was playing. Personally, I didn't want to see that movie because it was some sappy chick flick, but it would give me time to talk to her and show her that I wasn't some bumbling idiot. She said that she'd meet me there so I said okay and got dressed. She had giggled when she said yes to that, but I didn't think too much of it. It took me no time at all to get to the Sphere Theater since it wasn't too far from my house. I waited less than a minute for her when I got there so I knew that she wasn't too far either.

"Hi, Lenne!" I greeted her as she approached.

She was grinning a bit and a split second later, I realized my mistake. I was Tidus to everyone in Zanarkand and I was a blitzball superstar. She was Lenne and also the most famous songstress. It didn't take long for an army of fans to stampede our way hunting us down for autographs and pictures. I quickly grabbed her arm and ran with her to the only place I knew I'd be able to talk with her. First, I lost the fans by running into a hotel. Thank you five star services, they never rat out the whereabouts of the "rich and famous" people. Anyway, I left the hotel soon after, through a side exit and dashed, with Lenne, to my house. Upon entering, the both of us gasped for breath and she giggled at me again. She was expecting the mob of fans and it was just the funniest thing for her to see me grab her and run all over Zanarkand.

"I'm having so much fun with you." She said, laughing while she headed for a sofa in my living room.

"I'm sorry. I forgot that you were so popular." I replied as I plopped myself on a sofa across from her.

"Having all these fans can actually be fun when it lets me do things like this. Although, it also prevents me from being able to go places in public, too." She told me, sighing as she looked at me. She got up from her seat and walked over, sitting down next to me. "Something I didn't understand was when they started yelling, Tidus. Why would they be yelling about him?"

She must have never even been to a blitzball game before. Otherwise, she would've known exactly why those crazy people would be shouting out Tidus. They don't show blitzball games on SV.

"You've never been to a blitzball game, huh?" I asked her.

"No… Too many people would spot me for me to be able to do that." She said with a bit of grief in her voice, "I mean, I appreciate their adoration, but it can take away from your personal life."

"Well then, have you ever tried sneaking in?" I asked her since that was how I had gotten into her concert the night before.

"Sneak in? Isn't that illegal?" She asked me.

"Well, you have to do something or else you'll be missing out on everything Zanarkand has to offer." I answered.

"Like you?" I smiled at her. "I have an idea. How about we sneak into the Abes game that will be taking place in two days? It'll be fun."

"Sure! So you'll show me my first ever blitzball game. Is it really that fun? I've heard from the choreographers that it's always a great spectacle." The question allowed me to blab on about the wonders on my profession, so being me, I spouted out all my personal accounts of playing for the Abes without once mentioning that I was Tidus.

"So you know a lot about this game. Well, from what you've said, I can't wait until two days from now." She responded after my practically hour-long speech.

"Great. I'll just give you my address and number and you can come over and I'll take you to the stadium." I wrote down my address and my number and handed her the piece of paper.

She took it and asked me if I would accompany her back to her house. She didn't want to walk by herself. Of course, I said that it'd be a pleasure. For two people who met the way we did, we sure hit it off pretty smoothly. We exited my house and off we went. The good thing was that she didn't live too far away from me and so it was easy for me to show her how to get from my house to hers without drawing the attention of fans. When we got to her house, she decided to write down her address, too, wanting me to pick her up at her house for the game. I took the paper, said my goodbyes and headed home. She blew me a kiss and said she'd see me in two days.


	3. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2: Zanarkand Abes vs. Besaid Aurochs_

Two days passed by quickly and I was on my way to picking up Lenne for our "date". I reached the door, knocked, and Lenne popped out, gorgeous as ever.

"So you ready?" I asked.

"Yes. Let's get going." From the looks of things, she was extremely hyped up about seeing her very first game and I didn't blame her. After what I had said about it, she probably thought it was the greatest thing since spheres.

We reached the stadium via my "underground." In other words, we went to the back of the stadium and in through the locker room. I made sure no one saw me in there so I could get past easily and get Lenne to her seat. This was also done for another purpose… and I'll get to that shortly. She sat down and stared at the center of the stadium where I'd soon be playing.

"I'm gonna go… get us some food, ok?" I lied. I just wanted it to be a shock when the home team came out and I'd show up when the name Tidus was called.

I went to the locker room and changed into gear. A few of my friends came up to me and acted out that door incident from three nights ago after the concert.

"Haha, very funny. C'mon guys, leave me alone." The guys just stood there and recited the broken speech I made to Lenne that day. I knew they wouldn't let this go. "C'mon, cut it out! We got a game to win. Let's go."

We all headed out as the announcer began to shout out the names of the team. I, of course, was called out last. I came prancing out and yelled out to my teammates what I shout out to them every single game…

"So, what's our goal?"

The entire crowd along with my teammates answered with the same response I've heard a thousand times over. "VICTORY!"

That was our tradition. It was what we did every single game. I looked over to Lenne. She saw me and her look was priceless. Her eyes stared, her mouth was wide open, and her hands were to the sides of her face. I quickly put my finger up to my mouth to tell her not to give away my identity, winked at her, and went to play some blitzball.

The entire game was not really that amazing. The Aurochs, though a great team indeed, was nowhere near as good as the Abes. I decided to finish off the match with my father's patented Jecht Shot. It wasn't what I routinely did, but to put a bright point to a mediocre game, it was my pleasure. I put my head under the ball, popped it and myself up and out of the water, spun around, and kicked the sucker hard. The ball smacked right into the side of the orb of water that we played in and our score went up as the timer went to zero. That shot was never blocked. No one could figure out a way to prevent me from scoring when I used that move. However, I only did it to impress the fans. It would be lame if I did it all the time. Tonight, I did it for Lenne. It was her first game after all. I had to show her something special. When I headed back to the locker, I smirked again in Lenne's direction. Apparently, some girl in front of her thought I was doing it to her and she swooned all over me. I blushed a little at the thought and went to change.

In the locker room, the guys said a bunch of sly victor remarks that we'd all grown accustomed to over years of never losing. Most of this would be coming from two mouths, but at the better games, sometimes I'd join in. In any case, after I was back in my civvies, I went out to where Lenne was sitting.

The crowd was gone, proof that this was far from a spectacle of a match. Lenne had not been spotted due to such an immediate exit. Normally, the lights come back on five minutes after a game has ended, those five minutes used for autograph signing, victory cheers, et cetera. When the game isn't eventful, the crowd disperses.

"So, Tidus, huh?" She interrogated.

"I can explain." I put my hands up and playfully made a smirk, one that someone who was caught doing something wrong would tend to make. She giggled at my stunt and we made our way out the front door.

As I said, the people had departed. It was safe to leave through the front door. We got to her house and sat on her doorstep. "So, are you Tidus or Shuyin?" She began.

"I'm Shuyin. I just call myself Tidus so that people won't be able to find out where I live and bug me." I explained my entire life story to her. How I started playing blitzball, when I joined the Abes, what my life was like being a sports star, and finally, we got up to my dad. "My father's name was Jecht. He was the greatest blitzball player anyone had ever seen until I came along. That shot I made to win the game back there was his shot. Back then, he dominated the sport and no one could even hope to beat him. Unfortunately, that fact made him very cocky. He'd always gloat about how great he was and that really got on my nerves. I mean he definitely was the best, but his attitude was one of the worst. I promised myself that if I ever became that good, I wouldn't act like he did."

"Where is your father now?" She asked, wanting to dig into my past some more.

"He's dead. It's been around a decade since he drowned. See, he was off practicing blitz in the sea one day and a tidal wave came up, something I guess he just wasn't prepared for. I don't really know what exactly happened because he didn't tell us where he was going. Then again, the man never tells us anything other than that he's the best… Anyway, I heard news of his death from some sailor who just happened to see him get hit by the wave. He also told me that they never found his body and that was fine by me, but only me. When word got out of this fact, many people who'd been his adoring fans over the years wouldn't believe it and said that he had to be alive somewhere since no one had found his body."

"Do you believe that that might be true?" She asked me, a solemn look in her eyes. She wouldn't have been like this if she'd known Jecht herself.

"Nah. I don't believe those people and that silly idea. My old man is gone, lost to the sea, and I don't really care. Everybody knew I didn't really like my father and it wasn't like I ever tried to hide it. In all the interviews I've gone through, they've asked me what my relationship to him was and I've always told them that I didn't care for the guy. I just can't respect someone who acts like such a conceited jerk all the time." I looked down at my feet, remembering past events, and Lenne knew to stop asking me about him.

"So, how's life as a famous songstress?" I said, trying to start up the conversation again. Leaving the mood as is wouldn't have been gentlemanly of me.

"Oh, I love what I do. It's just great to sing and dance. I feel so happy when I perform." Her eyes lit up as she thought about her career.

"Is it really that great? I mean singing and dancing can get tiring can't it?"

That got her to open up. She told me all the wonderful emotions you get from singing and just being on that stage and how you make people more tranquil by alleviating all their stress through gentle melodies or boost their confidence with stronger tones. "The power of rhythmic words", she called it.

"Singing can do all that?" I was a bit skeptical, of course.

"If you don't believe me, then how about I hold a private concert for you right now?"

She grabbed my hands and dragged me into her house. Then, she plopped me down on one of her couches, took out a microphone from a small cabinet next to her karaoke and started to sing. One song after another gave me the emotions of joy, sorrow, strength, and the like. Her voice was so soothing and silky when she wanted it to be. It could be made hard and fierce if she willed it. Whatever she sang would be whatever I would feel. It was magical…

"So, now do you get it?"

She walked up to me after she had finished, likely, just about every song she had ever written. I didn't respond. Instead, I simply got up from my seat, put one arm around her waist, and kissed her. She was shocked at first, but soon relaxed herself in my arms. After a while, although it seemed like a lifetime could have passed, I broke the kiss to gaze at her beautiful face. She was the one. I knew she was the one. I knew because her singing melted the barrier I'd sealed my heart away in. With my father being such a jerk, and then that incident, I never really could open up to anyone. I hid my feelings away from the world as a way to cope with my losses. I had told this girl my entire life story. I had listened to her entire life story. Usually, I'd never stick around for conversations like that. I'd say something stupid and just leave. She was different...

"Shuyin?" Lenne questioned, looking at me funny since I was kinda staring at her while I thought those things.

"Oh, sorry. I was just… thinking." I said, letting her go.

"Are you okay?" She asked me noticing my mind was elsewhere.

"Yea, I'm fine. You sing really well." I said changing the subject.

"Thank you. You're sure you're okay?" She asked, still feeling that something was on my mind.

"Of course. Anyway, it's getting late. I should probably go." I wasn't ready to admit my feelings to her. Besides, it was only the second date and the first one wasn't exactly eventful.

"Okay. Wanna come over tomorrow? We can talk some more. I enjoy these conversations."

"Sure, I'd love to." I said while moving towards the door.

"Goodnight, Lenne." I said softly before heading out and going home.

Could this really have happened? Was…was I falling in love?


	4. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3: House Call_

What was I thinking yesterday, calling her the one? I'd been on practically one real date with her and suddenly she's my soul mate? I think I jumped to that idea just a bit too quickly. It had to have been that private concert she put on for me. After all, her songs had the power to stupefy anyone so why wouldn't it have the same exact effect on me?

In any case, I was still going to show up at her house since I told her I would do so before I left that day. The trip through my "underground" was filled with these utterly confused and slowly frustrating thoughts. I had just reached her door, my head still a clouded mess, when suddenly, she burst outside and tackled me to the ground.

"Surprised?" She was on top of me with her arms pinning me down.

"Yea, I didn't expect to be pounced on, today."

Using my strength, I overpowered her and managed to sit up, a decision I regretted as fast as I had made it. I saw that she was losing her balance from being forced up in such a manner and quickly grabbed her shoulders to steady her.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to do that." She smiled at me and I knew she didn't care about my mistake.

"So… let's get off the floor and go inside." She got up, dusted herself off, and then proceeded to pat the dirt off of me also as soon as I hopped back up to my feet.

I threw myself into the same seat I had taken the night before. The point of today was to have more conversation time to pick up where we left off yesterday. Unfortunately, my head wasn't there and it seemed even she wasn't up to it either. She walked around, looked out the window, turned around, and made a look like she was thinking about something before she quickly ran upstairs.

"Lenne?" Those were some confusing actions. What was she up to? I heard a bunch of sounds coming from the ceiling so I decided to check up on her.

Mid-way up the stairs, she started coming down, and brushed right past me, holding some kind of box. "Hey! What are you doing?" Of course, I was completely lost.

"I'm gonna teach you how to sing!" Her excited voice filled the air with such a delightful sound as she began to rummage through her various albums and her other music collection.

"Sing? Me? You want me to sing?" To hear me sing is like hearing a chocobo slide its beak across the side of an airship. Believe me if you've never heard that before, count your blessings.

"Sure. Anyone can sing." Apparently, she decided not to take to heart my lack of faith in my songster abilities.

The lesson began as soon as she decided on the song she would use to teach me with. The one she chose was the song that would eventually become "our" song. She had titled it "Real Emotion" and it was a new song that she just started and completed the day before, after I left. It appeared that that blitzball game and seeing me play in it had given her some inspiration.

"So sing the line after I finish it, okay?" She looked at me with a small smirk. She knew she was going to be able to laugh it up in just a little while.

"Okay. Whenever you're ready." I tried to fake an optimistic smile though it probably didn't work seeing how her smirk appeared to have grown somewhat before she began.

"Ano hiko koro no kanata ni" Her voice was so sweet. I really didn't want to ruin the pleasant vibe I was getting again from her amazing songstress abilities, but she was waiting for me to follow suit. I repeated the line and sure enough, I must have shattered a few spheres. Lenne was too busy rolling on the floor and laughing to notice my reddening face.

"I told you… I'm just not a vocalist."

I hung my head low. Almost immediately, she stopped laughing and looked up at me. Picking herself up and walked over, she put her tender hand on my cheek.

"You sang fine. Nobody's born a star." As if. How could she have been anything but with that voice? "You know what? Let's just keep at it. I know you'll get the hang of it sooner or later." Her other hand moved up to my other cheek and she looked at me, eyes full of kindness and sincerity. How could I refuse her?

So we sang that song, and we sang that song again, and then we sang different songs, and after a while, I did notice that my voice was actually improving. It went from chocobo beak on steel, to chocobo beak on steel covered in thin layer of cotton.

"See, you're getting the hang of it. After some more practice, I'm sure you'll be able to sing just as well as me!" Lenne smiled while proclaiming that to me and I smiled back, quite surprised at myself and the progress I made.

"Sure. One of these days, I'll be right up there with ya, singing real emotion to all of Zanarkand!" I smirked, acting out what one of those hot shot opera singers would do while performing and it made her giggle a little. I had one arm out diagonal to my side and my hand on my chest, head raised up high and mouthing the words to one of the songs we were singing.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "What? You didn't think I was serious, did you?"

I was mostly sure she wasn't excited about that, but I still didn't know why she was so perky all of a sudden. "No. I just thought of something. Why don't I teach you how to play the organ? That way, when you sing, you can also play a little background music. It might help you out." She seemed to really want me to become musically adept.

"Um, okay. I hope I can do better with that than with singing." She giggled and took me downstairs to where she stored her organ.

I sat in front of the giant metal instrument with the keyboard of light and she showed me what each key sounded like while teaching me how to correspond them to notes on her music book. Simple enough. I could handle this. Having something else instead of my own voice making the sounds would be a lot better for me. I placed my hands onto the keyboard. I just moved my fingers to hit the keys that matched the notes and to my luck, I was actually a natural. After a few hours of playing through the drills, I was ready to try and create a little tune.

"See. So now you can sing to what you play." She said, showing her happiness for me and my newfound talent.

I played on and though the tune I played was rather eerie, at least it sounded like music so that was good enough for me. Although… I heard once that music comes from your soul. If my soul was really being portrayed by this tune, I had one heck of a problematic one.

"Now that you're familiar with how this works, let's try something harder. Try to play the music for real emotion." I guess I was ready to play some real music and after all, she sounded very confident in my abilities at the piano.

"Alright. Let's see." I had memorized the keys and knew what notes they played. I also knew what sounds I could make with combinations of these keys. As for the melody of Real Emotion, it just came naturally to me. I started playing from my memory of how the song went and somehow, I played it without flaw. The melody from that song reverberated throughout her house.

"Ano hiko koro no kanata ni, egaiteta basho ni iru; tomoho ni kureteta ni suru, keredomo wo, modorenai…" She sang along with my playing and both of us enjoyed the sounds of the other's talent. Her voice soothed me. The organ enchanted her.

Both of us were exhausted by the time we were done. We hadn't simply stopped at just that one song, you see. We practically went through every song she had in her house. It was around 10 o'clock and the two of us just had no energy left at all.

"You are so wonderful." Lenne commented, her voice coming out lightly to tell of her fatigue.

"Nowhere near as beautiful as your singing." That was for sure. As much as I was a natural at the organ, she still sang in a totally different class.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to be getting ready for an upcoming concert. Would you like to come with me and watch me rehearse? I wouldn't mind some company." I guess she wasn't at all tired of my presence, something I was happy about, however…

"I would, but the thing is that tomorrow, I also have practice. The season has been going good for us and we need to be in tip top shape for each game so that we'll make it to the championship." As much as I wanted to be there the next day, I spoke the truth. The Abes really needed to practice and train and I, being their champ, needed to be there, as well. She was understandably disappointed at the development, but I didn't want her to stay that way so I tried to think of a plan quickly.

"From when to when are you rehearsing? The Abes and I are only gonna practice from ten in the morning to around four."

"I'm going to be rehearsing the whole day. Not only that, but I'm going to try to finish a few of the songs I started from a month ago. I haven't had too much free time lately." I knew that she cheered up by the fact that when I was finished training with the team, I'd be with her again.

"So, I'll see ya tomorrow after four."

"I'll be waiting." She smiled at me as I got back on my feet.

"Here." I offered my hand to help her get up off the floor. Her exhaustion placed her in a position lying down on her back, an arm to her side, the other on her forehead.

"Why thank you kind sir." She gently placed her delicate hand into mine and I pulled her up.

"I'd better get going. It's late and you need your rest." I yawned and slowly moved to the door.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Lenne."

When I got home I thought, maybe I wasn't so foolish to think she was "the one". She and I had only known one another for a little while, but we hit it off rather nicely. I began to wonder if I had a future with her. I began to wonder what fate had in store for us. I imagined a great deal that night, but only time could tell what we would become.


	5. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4: "Absence makes the heart grow fonder."_

At nine, I woke up and got myself ready for practice. I took a shower, brushed my teeth, ate, and the whole routine. I got to the blitz stadium at exactly ten, a first for me. As embarrassed as I am to say it, I'm hardly ever prompt.

"Hi, guys." I waved over to a couple of my friends, both who were present during my first run-in with Lenne.

"What's been going on with you? Tell us about what happened with Lenne." They had all wanted an update on the status of my relationship since that fiasco five days ago. I think two of them even had a wager on how badly I could've botched it up. Great guys, aren't they? Well, they wanted the latest scoop and me being me, I…

"My lips are sealed. You won't get anything from me. So deal with it. We got some work to do." I smartly replied, smoothly sailed past them to the locker room area and started to change into my training gear. That threw one into a hissy, but the other was harder to lose.

"C'mon man. Tell us, ya know? What's with the secrecy?" They tried their best to pry, but I was still not about to give.

"Sorry. You'll just have to keep on guessing." With that, I grabbed a blitzball and hurled it at one of them, the interrogator of this ambush interview. He caught it just before he saw me dashing out towards the arena.

Training today wasn't any different than any other day. Basically, it was everyone on me. They had to hone in their skills as a collective team, following the strategies set by our captain, and I had to give them a challenge by staying at the top of my game. The thing I could've always done without, though, was the incessant yelling from coach. He'd tell us all to do this and that and we'd have to, otherwise he'd get pissed off. The guy didn't know what he was talking about at all. I mean he'd never played the game before; he just got the position handed down to him by his old man. His father was actually a decent coach and the team missed him greatly ever since his retirement two years back. Those strategies and maneuvers that he developed with us were what made the Abes the unstoppable team in any game.

"No, not like that. Go to the left more." The coach's "helpful" advice again. I wondered if he actually had a game plan or if he just randomly thought up those suggestions to make it seem like he knew what he was doing.

Finally, he got a call and left us by ourselves. You know, as much as I despise the man's coaching, he was still a genius as booking matches. While, in game, he can't advise his way out of a paper bag, out of game, he had set the Abes up with several beautiful seasons. Anyway, with him out of the picture for the moment, I started swimming around aimlessly, until one of the guys tried to peg me with the ball. I easily moved around it, grabbed it and thought about what I should do with this ammunition. I was just about to use the blitzball to bash one of them when suddenly, a rookie who had been behind me, one that we just acquired for the team, grabbed the ball from my hands and grinned at me as I turned to face him, the blitz ball held out in front of him as a show of victory.

"I bet I could do that Jecht shot better than you." He said smugly. The kid was confident, I had to give him that.

The newbie went ahead and put his head under the ball, popped it and himself out of the water, and it looked like he was actually going to succeed in doing it. He spun around like I had done several times in games and tried to kick it, but unfortunately for him, his coordination was off. His foot passed by it, a little off to the right. When he landed, he turned around, smirking because he thought he must have done the move correctly. To his surprise, the ball was right in front of him and the guys began laughing madly at his failure.

Slowly, I moved in toward him, saying, "Hey. You just need some more practice, that's all." I was never one to take insults or mockery to heart. The kid tried and he didn't succeed. I mean it did take me a little while to learn how to perform my dad's move properly. The shot wasn't as easy as it looked. "Here, let me show you. Sooner or later, you'll get it. Just don't rush things, okay?"

I put my head under the ball and popped up out of the water. I showed the team the Jecht shot yet again and landed back in the water, the rookie looking a bit upset at himself when I turned to face him.

"See? Just keep at it. All you need is a little more practice and it is only your first year. Anybody can do it, but it takes time." I wasn't sure if that was true or not, but I thought if I could, why not someone else? The rookie fled the scene, no doubt humiliated by his failure. He went back to the locker room and one of my friends patted me on the back, an act to tell me that it wasn't my fault.

Training went back to normal afterwards, and we practiced a few moves and tactics on each other for the duration of the session. We all left the arena when it was almost four because no one wanted to wait for the coach to come back and dismiss us. I was pretty glad that the team agreed with leaving early since I really didn't want to be late in seeing Lenne. She meant a lot to me. I guess my actions of the day demonstrated that. Hopefully, none of the guys caught on.

After I finished changing, I quickly left, eager to go to my songstress friend's side. I promised, after all, that I would keep her company after practice. I got to her house and saw a note posted on her door for me. She wasn't rehearsing at home. She had forgotten to tell me where she'd be doing that last night so my guess is she figured I'd come to her house and see the note she put up to guide me to her studio. The place wasn't too far from her house. It was just a quick ten-minute jog. When I got there, the receptionist told me that Lenne was waiting for me on the 5th floor, second door to my left. I would know the room was the right one if it had a picture of a dove holding an olive branch in its beak. Before I could leave, though, the receptionist also wanted my autograph. She was a fan. It was she who told Lenne about how great that Tidus of the Zanarkand Abes was. That's how she knew about him, but nothing about who he was other than that he played blitz really well… oh, and that "he is such a hottie!"

I got up to the 5th floor and looked to my left. The door with the dove on it was right where I was expecting it to be. I knocked and another receptionist opened the door for me.

"Hello, do you… have an… Oh my stars! TIDUS! It is you! You're really here! Wow!" She was floating on clouds by just seeing me. Of course, she wanted an autograph as well and when I gave it to her, well… she fainted.

"Um… Can you… tell me… err, where Lenne is?" I knew it was no use. The girl was unconscious from her excitement at seeing me in person. It happened all the time. I sighed at the thought, shaking my head lightly.

"I could tell you where she might be." I turned around, knowing whose voice it was and, as expected, Lenne stood right there with her hands behind her and a mischievous look on her face.

"Oh really? That would be great. Where is she?" I was never one to pass up on an opportunity to mess around.

"Shuyin." She whined, nudging me in my chest playfully.

"Oh, so there you are."

The both of us laughed and went inside her office. The place was big. It had a dance pad, recording room, a room with a desk space that had a keyboard and stuff, and other things you'd find in a studio for a singer that I couldn't name.

"I just finished recording real emotion and took a break. So when you came here and found my receptionist, I was off getting a cup of tea." That explained why she was behind me and not inside when I first arrived. She was just returning from getting a drink and saw me there.

"So that's how you got behind me." She took my hand and led me to the room with her desk with the keyboard.

"I was about to get started on finishing these songs. After I'm done, we can sing together on the rehearsal mat up front." She sat down on her chair and showed me a few pieces of paper with her incomplete songs scribbled on them.

"Did you already practice the songs you were planning on singing at your concert?" I didn't want to deter her focus from what she was here to do.

"Yea, I did that all morning and then I recorded real emotion before you got here." That was good. I didn't want her to put her attention on me and ruin her next concert. Then again, practice was for people who needed it and Lenne, by my opinion came into this world without a need for it.

"Did you tell all of them that Tidus was the one you were meeting?" I remembered the events of earlier.

"Yes, I remembered that you didn't want people to know your name was Shuyin so I told everyone here that I was meeting Tidus. They all screamed with excitement." She smiled.

"Yea, I get that a lot. You most likely get that, too, from all the guys." It had to be the case. I was the number one fantasy amongst the girls of Zanarkand and she was the same for the guys.

"Yes, any man who I come in contact with acts a lot like you did that first day when I saw you. At first I thought you were going to turn out just like them, but you aren't. You're normal with me. I like that." She looked at me and sighed.

"Haha, I assume it helps that I'm a celebrity, too, eh? Well, I guess you should get back to work." I knew my presence was distracting her and that wasn't something I wanted.

"You're right. I should get back to working on these songs. Would you like to stay here and keep me company?" She asked. She wanted me to stay and I would, but not this close. She'd never be able to concentrate with me sitting there with nothing else to do but stare at her.

"I'd better just wait outside. I'll check out some of your other songs in that room with that thing that plays your records." So I didn't know what those devices were. I'm a blitzball player, not Falio. He's another singer from back then during our parent's time by the way.

"You mean the DP-player? Do you know how to run that thing?" She asked, smirking at me. She knew full well my lack of expertise in the various types of equipment used by the music business. "Um, I'll figure it out." I nervously said while looking away.

"Here, I'll show you how to work it and then you can keep occupied while I work." Phew… She showed me which of the switches opened the slip cover, how to hook in the DP, lock the cover back into place, and lastly, which of the button started up the machina. Then, she hooked up a headset for me to use and told me how to control the volume.

"Thanks. I think I got it."

I put on the headset and began messing around with a few things while she went back to her work. I thought I was getting the hang of the controls until I accidentally increased the volume a little too high and well… "ARGhh…"

The rapid increase in sound intensity made me cringe, but I quickly muffled my yelp so I wouldn't attract any unwanted attention. I was in luck, as after a while, there were still no sounds of footsteps that would have meant Lenne returning to see what was wrong. She didn't hear my short howl of pain. Once the ringing stopped, I readjusted the volume to manageable levels and decided that I shouldn't mess around with the switches anymore.

Listening to her songs again on the DP recording was just as good as hearing her sing live. I couldn't place it, but while every other song got old sooner or later, Lenne's singing remained fresh and just as good as the first time I listened to them. It had to be love… that or insanity. Well, if I'm insane, then let me be insanely in love with Lenne. It was probably around three hours later when Lenne took off the headset and woke me from my tranquility.

"I'm back. I finished the songs."

"Great!"

She grabbed me and pulled me out of my seat. "Would you like to hear them?"

She was pretty excited. "Sure. Anything you come up with has to be good."

I was a lucky guy. I could use the classic compliment line and mean it in every way, any day. Hey, it was completely true. Her songs were always the best so I had nothing to be less then candid about. She walked me back over to where she had been for those three hours and brought out a microphone and those pieces of paper.

"Let's go." She closed the door behind her and took me to the dance pad. I took a seat on one of the chairs in front as she got onto the dance floor.

Naturally, those songs she sung were beautiful. Of them, my favorites had to be Can't Lose and Color of My Soul. Her dancing was also fantastic. When she finished, I got up and clapped, but to my surprise, I heard two sets of sounds. I wasn't her only audience. Her receptionist was back up from before and applauded Lenne's newest hits with me.

"Excellent songs, my lady." Yup, they sure were. Lenne took a bow and walked over to us.

"Well, if you're finished here, I think you and Tidus should get going. It's getting late and you should return home now." The receptionist said, adding as a whisper to Lenne, "Especially if he's going with you."

I hid a small grin as she finished her statement to a blushing Lenne and opened the door for us. "Thank you and I'll see you in three days." Lenne replied, waving goodbye as we headed for the seleva.

It carried us back down to the lobby and I waved bye to that other receptionist before the both of us exited the studio to go back to her place. I walked her home and we talked about her thoughts for her concert and my thoughts about this season of blitzball. When we reached her house, I sent her in, said my goodbye and began to leave.

"Good night." She waved as I departed back for my house.


	6. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5: Zanarkand Abes vs. Bevelle Jowiles_

It had been a few months and it came time for the championship game between the two reigning blitz teams. The Abes came a long way and Bevelle was our next and final target for the season. This game wasn't going to be easy as the team from Bevelle had to beat the Aurochs and the Goers to get here. Now, even though our game with the Aurochs wasn't very spectacular, I knew that they were a really tough team to conquer. That game we played against them in the pre-season was just an off day for them, I'm sure. Last season, the championship game was us against them and we nearly lost had it not been for one miscalculation on their part. Their captain risked a new play and that allowed one of the guys to steal the ball and score just one more goal than they did on us at the very last second.

So far, our team defeated the Al Bhed Psyches, Ronso Fangs, and Luca Goers in order to finally get here. Bevelle had to beat the Kilika Beasts, Guado Glories, and, of course, the Besaid Aurochs. The Al Bhed team was not really anything special and so that can't really compare to Bevelle. The Ronso were a bunch of tough guys, but they weren't as swift upstairs. You could easily spot their strategy. The Luca Goers, on the other hand, was something to gloat about when we beat them. All jokes aside, those Goers had the potential to rival teams as strong as the Guado Glories. Then again, those Guado were sneaky people and they showed it in their blitz games. How the Jowiles beat them so easily in their last game was something that impressed me. No team in blitzball was allowed to watch another team's games to prevent scouting, but we were given score and approximate time each point was made. In the Jowiles/Glories game, Bevelle scored all their goals in the first three minutes of the first half and just shut out the Glories afterwards. The final score for the game was 11- none.

Getting on to current standings, the reigning record had been held at a tie between the Aurochs, Jowiles, and our very own Abes for having thirty championship victories each in the last hundred seasons. The Goers were next in line with a record of nine and the last championship was won by Glories. Those standing made our three teams the top blitz teams in all of Spira. The Abes were actually racking up straight victories as of these past few seasons. Every team across Spira wanted us defeated. Unfortunately for them, my father had won every game he played except his first two and I continued the straights for the five years I'd been around since his death. If we beat Bevelle, we'd be the all time best team with a straight record of fifteen victories and an overall record of thirty-one. This was a game we had to win. It would make the Abes the undisputable champions of blitz for all time.

Of course, Lenne was sitting amongst the crowd. She wouldn't miss this game for anything. This time, we were in Bevelle's stadium so she didn't need to worry about over-excited fans. They were all in Zanarkand… Well, some were here, too. Those would be the super fans. They would bravely cheer for us while the citizens of this city shunned and threw things at them. I admired their courage at all of these, our away games.

"Okay, can't be thinking about these things, now." I got a game to win. That's when it hit me. "Championship game with the world record at stake."

This was going to be a tremendous challenge. Hoo boy, I was shaking. I was actually shaking. What was I so nervous about? I'm Tidus, dammit. Well, that thought didn't really help.

"Hey! C'mon buddy. Let's get out there and win us a blitz game!" One of the guys shouted with a pat to my back, trying to give me confidence.

"Yea… Let's get out there!"

I got up and headed out with the team this time. We were going to come out first, since we were in the rival's stadium. They weren't going to announce our names like back home.

When we were all out of the back, it was time for our signature game starting tradition. "So, what's our goal?" I asked the Abes, yet again.

"VICTORY!"

Only the guys on the team and those super fans shouted this time. Of course, that was to be expected. We weren't in a stadium of Abes fans anymore. We were in Bevelle Blitz Dome, a stadium filled to the brim with Jowiles fans. The Jowiles entered into the arena one by one. They all had military visors and neck guards on, which made them appear like soldiers. I found it amusing that athletes would come dressed in military gear.

After their fanfare, they took their places around the rim of the Sphere Pool and stared at us with arrogant expressions. I took my seat along the side of the rim with the rest of the Abes, as well, and waited for it to fill with water. This was it. Time to claim the title of best team of blitz…

Once the pool filled with water, the game was at hand. The Jowiles all got to their places and we followed in sync. One of theirs headed to the center of the Sphere Pool and I went to my place opposite him to start us off. A game started basically with two players, usually the team's fastest two, in the center of the pool and the ball would be thrown upward. I had to get the ball before that other guy so that we might have an early advantage. The ball was shot up through the water. I swam up and so did my opponent. I reached for the ball and… NO. He batted it away from my hand right as my fingers felt its surface. At that point, my job was to keep them from scoring on us. I quickly swam towards the guy with the ball. He tried to lose me, but it's unfortunate for him that I'm no ordinary player. I maneuvered around his attempts to get away or attack me and tackled him out of the pool, grabbing the ball just before.

"Time to show these guys what blitz is all about."

I swam at the speed of a torpedo straight for our goal. The goalie for Bevelle looked at me like I was actually a real torpedo, ready to blow him to kingdom come. I let go of the ball near my legs and spun side-ways, kicking the sucker as I came around. The scene I witnessed just after I kicked the ball was hilarious. That goalie, shocked initially by my speed in the water, became a petrified statue as the ball flew from my foot towards him. He didn't even try to move as it hit the triangular field behind him. I scored that easily. I thought this team would be a challenge.

It was the opposition's turn to have the ball. In championship games, it was always the loser's ball. I watched as their star player made a few hand motions to his team, signaling for some sort of formation they would use against us. I moved in front of the guy, from what I heard his name was Areth, and he tried to get past me to keep up his strategy. I didn't know yet what that strategy was so I figured that I'd just keep him occupied while my team tried to stop them from scoring. After a while, I started to see what was going on. This player that I was blocking was just a decoy. They wanted me to stay with him. Their strategy was to keep me a distance away so that the real star player, who looked almost identical to the one I was guarding, could maneuver past my team and secure a goal. I was not going to let that happen. I quickly swam away from the decoy and found an opening to get at the true target. Just as I was about to get to him though, one of their team knocked a rookie, the same one who had tried my special move, into me. It threw off my coordination just enough so that when I got to the real Areth, he just had to push off of me, and spike the ball into our goal. What happened was that originally, he was going straight for the goal and our goalie was ready for it. However, by kicking off of me, he changed his position to a diagonal position above the goal and got it in before our goalie could respond and move into the proper spot to block it. I caused the score to become a tie.

The game went on with both teams scoring whenever it had the ball. The first half passed with the score at a tie; 6-6. Bevelle had been watching us. I guess they knew we were the team to beat and tried to key in on our weaknesses even if it meant dishonorable tactics. From watching our games, they knew I'd usually go after the best players of any team so that the rest of the Abes could easily pick apart the rest of the opposition. They knew that the guys liked to have more coverage towards the goal and less further from it so that it was more difficult to get a score from close up, which most teams relied on. I had to think of something. It was getting towards the end of the game and I didn't want to play in overtime, since it looked like we'd end the second half with yet another tie. Lenne was sitting up there in the crowd. I couldn't disappoint her. A tie meant that our two teams were equals and I for one wanted everyone to know that the Abes are second to none. It would give Lenne something to remember. It would give all of Spira something to remember.

My mind back to the game, I saw that it was our turn with the ball and my best friend, Rothel, just scored at the final two minutes. The score was 12-11. I had to make sure that Bevelle didn't score the next goal. I was going to make the final score be a 13-11 and not a 12 all. I had to so that we'd win and that would be that. I had to make Zanarkand's mark in blitzball history.

The Jowiles tried to get me distracted again, with the clock down to a minute and a half. Too bad because, at this point, I knew who their star really was and I wasn't going to let myself be fooled more than once. I chased after him and I saw him ball up a fist. He was obviously worried that I was going to ruin his plan of attack. I swam up next to him and ducked, moving right underneath his form.

"I'll take that!" I confidently said as I reached upwards to grab the ball from his hands.

"I can't let that happen!" He fumed, kicking me in the back as I went to grasp the ball.

That wasn't good. They'd been watching games from last season, too. They probably knew I had a slight back injury from last season that hadn't yet vanished. The star Auroch, a man named Okira, knocked me out of the pool during the second half, when I was… err, um… trying to… ugh. Okay, I was flirting with these girls. ANYWAY, getting back to the game at hand…

I winced at the pain in my spine, while trying to look for him. I found him near the center of the pool and saw what he was up to. He placed the ball over him and head-butted it out of the Sphere Pool, himself following right under it. He spun around. The Jecht Shot! He was going to use my move against me. The shot was unblockable! He was going to tie the score and we'd go into overtime! That's not how I wanted to end the game! I couldn't let that happen! But, to stop him, I had to deflect my own invincible shot! He kicked it hard and the blitz ball flew towards the goal. Our goalie just moved aside, knowing it would be useless to try and defend against it. I swam towards the ball's trajectory and stopped just in front of it with my back facing it. Everyone I could see was in shock. What could I have possible been thinking?

This was it. I spun my left leg around and the ball smacked into it hard. I winced, my eyes shutting tightly. I wouldn't care to go through that again. Slowly, my eyes opened as the pain died down. Time seemed to freeze after that stunt. The ball was floating in front of me as my injured leg passed it by. I had one chance. I kicked it again with my right leg. The ball rocketed from my right leg, forward. Everything besides the ball and myself was frozen solid. I watched in complete disbelief as that blitz ball slowly streamed across the Sphere Pool and hit the goal on the other side. I had done it… I countered the Jecht Shot… I won the game… The buzzer sounded and the second five-minute period was over. The final score was 13-11. Victory was ours. The Zanarkand Abes were the champions of the world. Victory…

"VICTORY!" All of the Abes yelled in sync as we headed back to the locker room. I was still baffled over how I ended that game and what I had accomplished in order to end it in that way. The guy had used my shot perfectly and I… I…

"I rock!"

I yelled at the top of my lungs as my friends lifted me onto their shoulders and drunkenly cried out, "Tidus! Tidus!"

They put me down and some guys from behind dumped a big barrel of B.T. PowerThirst on top of me. We had every reason to party and go crazy. We had won the season. Our score beat the Aurochs of Besaid and the Jowiles of Bevelle. We were on top of the world.

An hour or so later, I left the locker room and the team. They all looked back at me with a little disappointment since I was leaving them to party and celebrate the night away by themselves. I was sorry for doing it, but I had other plans. I had a girl waiting for me back at that arena, a girl who I was in love with. After an hour, everyone would have cleared out so she and I would be by ourselves.

"Lenne." I said softly, looking at her sitting quietly, her eyes closed and a small smile on her face.

She breathed deeply, sighed and looked up at me. "You are incredible." She looked into my eyes. I smiled and took her hand. "You told me that that Jecht Shot was untouchable. You told me that even you couldn't block it, but…" She said waving over toward the pool, "… you just did."

She looked back over to where the Sphere Pool was. It was being put away to be used again next season. I put my hand on her cheek and moved her face so I could look into her eyes again.

"I did it for you. You inspired me to block it. I wouldn't have thought to do it until I met you. You were sitting there, in the crowd, watching me. I couldn't disappoint you." I said, completely lost in those hazel pearls.

I did do it for her. Yes, I wanted to win. However, I wanted to win that badly because of her. I could have easily let the game go into overtime and scored then, but I wanted to give her a real show. Beating my own shot definitely counts. Her eyes shifted downward, at my leg.

"But you didn't hurt yourself, did you?" She noticed my pained expression back in the game, right after my leg slowed the ball.

"I'm perfectly fine." She touched my leg and I cringed from the horrible jolt.

"No you aren't. Let's get you home and I'll have a look at that injury." She said softly, but sternly.

We walked slowly towards a hover-glide station, Lenne's hand on my chest, trying to support me. I limped a lot. I guess I didn't even realize the extent of the damage that blitz ball did on my leg. I wasn't in the game anymore. There wasn't the effect of adrenaline left to dull the pain. My leg hurt and it hurt a lot.

Suddenly, I was in the midst of a crowd. We both forgot that I just won an incredible championship game in the most tremendously outrageous way imaginable.

"So Tidus, how did you do it?" A reporter asked.

"What was going through your head when Areth performed your father's technique?" Another reporter inquired.

"Does this mean that the Super Shot really isn't all that invincible?" A third one questioned, not knowing the name of my move.

"Ah, look. I'm kinda…" I tried to dodge them, but was bombarded with microphones. The questions were endless and annoying.

I looked all around me and saw nothing but a sea of these leeches from every which way. Then, a little further on, I noticed a few menacing looks from, if I had to take a guess, Areth and his Jowiles. I didn't like that look. I really didn't like the look Areth gave me next. He smirked like something was going to happen and I was going to be too late to find out what. It was very disconcerting to say the least. The reporters quickly redirected my attention back to them with their incessant noise.

"Okay, okay! I just needed some time to gather my thoughts." I lied, "The Jecht Shot might not be unblockable. I don't know. I just know that I blocked it for Lenne."

With that said, I smiled at my beautiful songstress who, in turn, blushed back.

"Who's Lenne?" Some of them asked.

At first, I was taken aback a little. However, I realized a moment later that this was Bevelle. They didn't know Lenne. Music, I heard, wasn't much of an interest for Bevelle. She was nobody to them. Heck, I wasn't anyone to them either. I just did something really cool and they wanted to make some gil off the story. After they were done with me, I'm sure they'd just make a half-minute report, a short paragraph-long article, probably entitled, "The Miracle that saved Zanarkand", and they'd be back to talking about next season and how the Jowiles would stomp on the Abes then.

"This… is Lenne." I gazed at the love of my life, her fragile form cowering before those rabid reporters while still trying to keep me on my feet.

"So anyway," One of them said after they were done with Lenne, "What was going through you're mind when Areth used your shot? Must have been pretty intense to see such a great player in action."

"What was I thinking? I was thinking, 'Holy crap!' The guy was gonna tie the score. I just thought about stopping him by any means necessary. I couldn't let him tie the game. I have a reputation to uphold." I told them, telling the truth with a little ego thrown in to keep up the personality. The reporters took a few notes, asked me a few bits of my history, and wrapped it up. It was over before too long.

Lenne and I boarded the hover-glide that was headed out for Zanarkand. I yawned and put my head back when we sat down. Lenne was probably tired because she and placed her hands on my chest put her head down on top before falling asleep. I looked at her beautiful resting form. I was one lucky guy. Not only did I have such a great victory in the record books, a big house with all the luxuries, and lots of gil to spend on anything I wanted, but I also had her, something that eclipses everything stated before. I had someone to give my life a purpose. That purpose was to protect her. It was to keep her safe, keep her happy, and give her my all. The guys on the Abes were close to me, too, but none of them could give me this definition, not even Kirin.

We reached Zanarkand and the stop closest to my house. I gently woke Lenne up and got off the hover-glide with her. She continued to support me with her delicate hand pressed against my chest. We walked up to my house and she brought me over to my sofa. She elevated my leg slowly to the coffee table in front of the sofa, careful not to hurt it while she did. Once my leg was rested on the table, she began to check out the damage. It wasn't bad at all, but she looked at the bruise like I had just fought a war and was mortally wounded. I couldn't help but smile at her.

"I'll get you some ice." She quickly got up and walked over to my freezer.

I heard a few clanks and crunches as she dumped the ice in my freezer into a towel and cracked the cubes with the hilt of a butcher knife. She came back over to me, putting the towel with the crushed ice onto my leg. At first, the sudden cold felt like needles being shoved through my bone. Then, my leg went numb and the injury stopped hurting. I felt the swelling slow down as my leg began to get colder. Lenne held the sack of ice on it for over an hour, without getting exhausted once. She really cared about my well-being, which I was grateful for, but it wasn't good for her. I'd just have to try my best not to put her into this position again.

My mind filled with tranquility as I gazed at her. She, on the other hand, looked seriously upset. It looked like this bruise was equivalent to something like having a sword shoved into your gut and explode on impact to her. I put my hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down. She couldn't act like this whenever I got hurt. People get hurt all the time. I didn't want her to be so distraught over such a trivial thing.

"Lenne, I'm fine. You don't have to worry so much." I said lightly.

"I just don't want to see you in pain." Lenne's eyes watered slightly.

"Lenne, if this is how you're going to react whenever I get hurt, I don't think you want to come to anymore of my tougher games." I smiled as I said this, "I'm an athlete. Chances are, I'm gonna get hurt."

Lenne sighed and smiled slightly, as well. With a nod, she took away the ice, looking to see the condition of my wound. Noticing that it was mostly better, she felt my leg, knew it was cold enough, and went back to the kitchen to put the towel into the sink. When she came back, I was trying to stand up. My leg was still a little numb, but I was fine. Lenne didn't agree, though, seeing how she quickly plopped me back onto my sofa and scolded me with her eyes. I kept trying to get Lenne to lighten up, telling her that this injury wasn't as bad as she was making it. This went on for at least another two hours until, finally, we just became far too exhausted to continue arguing and fell asleep.


	7. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6: Summoners of Zanarkand_

When I woke up, Lenne lay beside me, sound asleep. I remembered her concern about my leg just a few hours prior. If she cared this much for all her loved ones, I felt sorry for her. It must have been pretty stressful to worry about others so much and not about yourself.

When Lenne arose about an hour or so later, she found herself face-up, with a blanket covering her. I had gotten up earlier to make some breakfast. I was in the kitchen, at the counter, scrambling a couple eggs when I noticed her groggily sit up. She turned in the direction of the sound of stir-frying to see me, trying my best to make scrambled eggs with sausage slices and leek. She smiled at me, got up from the couch, and walked over. Upon seeing my creation, she gave me a peck on the cheek and asked me where my bathroom was so she could freshen up. When she left, I started humming a nice little tune to myself, moving onto making some fried rice.

About ten or eleven minutes later, Lenne came skipping back, a bright smile on her face. She sat down at the dining table right outside my kitchen and put her hands together, making herself look like an innocent little schoolgirl who was patiently awaiting breakfast from her mother. I played along, strolling in with two bowls, one for her and one for me. I strutted back into the kitchen and grabbed two pairs of chopsticks and a few napkins. I placed one pair of chopsticks and a napkin in front of her, and took my seat.

"Bon Appetite!" I said trying to sound like a waiter at a fancy restaurant.

I'm pretty sure it came out wrong, but she didn't seem to notice so I didn't pay any mind. She took a taste test to see how well I actually cooked. When I told her my life story before, I did mention a little that my mother had made sure I learned it early on so I'd be more independent just in case I didn't get married before leaving home. After she swallowed, she made a few convulsions, pretending that it was poisoning her. It should have been obvious, but I didn't realize she was kidding at the time.

"Lenne!" I yelled, mentally punching myself for killing her.

She cracked up at my serious face, making it turn completely apple red. "It tastes splendid. I didn't know you could cook so well." She calmly stated, trying very hard not to burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. I just sat down and hung my head.

"I can't believe I fell for that." I mumbled lowly. All Lenne could do was giggle slightly to prevent herself from exploding.

After all was settled again, we continued eating and chatting about future plans and the likes. With the blitz season behind me, there wasn't too much for me to do besides training for the next season. Off seasons were normally this painful. Usually, I'd just hang out with friends, train, and just try to pass the time until blitzball started up again. Lenne told me that she'd be making an appearance in about a week so that was the closest thing on her mind. We joked with each other about the perks of her career versus mine. I believe my strongest argument was that I could catch up on some video gaming while blitzball was on hold. Well, it's still something, right? Right!

When we finished, I decided to take her to Macalania, but she wanted to go back to her place first. Of course, seeing that it was a bright day out, we had to take the scenic route, for fear of fan bombardment. We got to her house and there was a notice on the door.

"You have been chosen to become a summoner. You must comply…" She read the notice aloud. I had no idea what it meant, but she apparently did. "I have to go. Yu Yevon has chosen me." She said seriously.

"What exactly does that mean? I don't understand. I thought summoners were trained at birth." I said, confused. Summoners are special mages that can call things known as Aeons… That's about all I really knew then.

"No… Summoners are chosen by Yu Yevon from a select group, usually, those who have this marking or display certain traits in their childhood." She told me while pointing to a symbol on the notice.

It looked like a circle with a four branch lightning bolt in it and two smaller circles on either side of the bolt. "You have a birthmark like that?" I asked.

"No, it is probably why I was chosen this late. My parents told me that I had acted in the same manner as most future summoners. They feared this day would come although they never mentioned why." Lenne said, her thoughts drifting back to her childhood.

"You never told me this before." I was a little upset when I said this since we had both told one another our complete backgrounds earlier yet she never mentioned ever possibly becoming a summoner.

"I didn't really believe my parents about my having the potential so I didn't think I would ever need to tell you. I had almost forgotten it myself, anyway." She explained, still acting a bit flustered about the notice as she pondered what to do about it.

I decided that she should probably check it out. I mean how many people can say he or she is not just the greatest voice in all of Spira, but a summoner, as well? She thought on it carefully and shook off any doubts in her mind, choosing to agree with me. Together, we traveled over to where the head of the summoners, Yu Yevon, resided.

"Tis good of you to join us, m'lady." Yu Yevon stated softly as we headed into his office.

Once we were inside, he gestured for us to take the seats in front of his desk before he went to sit at his own seat. "I know this will be difficult for you at first, but with my training, you will be just as perfect as any of my other summoners." He exclaimed, eyes filled with aging glee as he thought about his past trainees.

"Father." A young woman from upstairs said.

I turned, followed by Lenne. The woman looked slightly older than the two of us and had long, flowing hair like Lenne's, only white. My first reaction was that the hair was a dye job. A lot of people nowadays were in hair that they weren't born with. Personally, I dislike artificial changes on anyone so her look wasn't something I cared for. Aside from that, her clothing was a bit exotic. She was wearing pretty much a bikini with two tassels coming from the thong. She also had this headband on her forehead that had more tassels. Overall, she just looked a little over-extravagant.

"Ah, Yunalesca. What can I do for you?" Yu Yevon asked his daughter, leaving his seat.

"I just received a call from Zaon. Um…" She began, but paused when she saw the two strangers behind her father. "Is this a bad time?" She continued.

"No." Yu Yevon put an arm around the woman's back, moving her closer.

They began whispering to each other. I heard bits of broken speech, picking up words like: might, soon, machina, power, and difficult. I hadn't a clue as to what they were talking about, turning my head to Lenne with a puzzled look. She returned my gaze with the same confusion.

"Ahem…" The elder summoner coughed, returning his attention to us. "Now then, where was I?" He continued as his daughter took off. "Ah, yes. You will have the most memorable experiences of your entire life by joining the ranks of our marvelous summoners." The man boasted.

I knew he was talking to Lenne, but I couldn't help but think about my life and how it would change, as well. I mean, my girlfriend was gonna be a summoner. That was very cool, but…

"Wait, I have a question." I started.

"No, you cannot be a summoner, too." He grumbled. What was his problem?

"No, that isn't it." I corrected, "I just wanted to know if she's gonna be safe. I've seen those Aeon things. They look dangerous." I wasn't going to let my love be torn to bits by some dumb bird thing with no feet.

"Yes, it will definitely be a trying period. However, the Aeons need not concern you. They are very tame and kind-hearted creatures and your woman is quite safe in their care." He smiled at me reassuringly.

"What dangers are there then?" I still hadn't a clue. If Aeons weren't anything I needed to worry about, why would it be a "trying period"?

"My boy, if you truly feel a need to be her… how shall I put it… guardian, I know someone who could teach you how to become her champion. He can teach you how to wield a sword with the most grace and skill anyone has ever seen." He said, giving me an alternative from just letting her do it alone.

"Fine. I'll be Lenne's 'guardian'… Why do I need a sword? You said Aeons weren't dangerous." I questioned.

"Young man, I tell you the truth about the Aeons. However, you shall need the aid of a sword for the fiends that she will have to defeat, as well as the unsent who may perchance lash out at her before she is able to send them." Yu Yevon clarified.

I nodded, showing him that I understood my new objectives as a "guardian". I was going to have to protect Lenne from those things that I've seen outside Zanarkand. Then again, those things looked a bit more vicious than a girl with magical powers and a guy with a sword, even if I could wield it with "the most grace and skill anyone has ever seen". How was I going to protect her against creatures that have been known for killing plenty of travelers, not to mention a few of Yu Yevon's "marvelous summoners"? Plus, unsent, I heard, were dead guys that didn't want to stay dead. I had no idea how a sword was going to beat a ghost. With fiends and unsent on the opposing roster, it sounded almost like he wanted us to commit suicide… Nah. Why would he want that, right? I was just being a bit too overprotective.

Lenne and I walked side-by-side behind the old summoner who was taking us to the training grounds. When we got there, he introduced me to the swordsman, Takuma. He would teach me how to fight. Interesting. Even if I wasn't going to be able to help Lenne with swordplay, I figured I'd still be getting another skill. Maybe I could impress the fiends and zombie guys to death with my beautiful form. I laughed to myself at the thought. "Here, take this." Takuma grunted, shoving a scabbard into my gut. I guess he didn't really trust me with a weapon seeing how the sword he gave me was duller than my old high school Math teacher. (Ba rump bum tssss.)

"Okay. So, you want me to show you what I can do?" I asked since he hadn't made a sound since I took the sword.

He cackled. Guess he thought I was being funny. He turned and waved over for me to follow him, walking towards another area of the training grounds. I started walking, turning my torso around to wave bye to Lenne before returning my focus on my "bushido" training.

We stopped in the middle of a giant room with a bamboo-made floor and thick bamboo support beams.

"So, we start here?" I asked.

Before I could even think, he spun out to the right with his sword swinging horizontally. By pure reflex, I held up my sword to my right, closing my eyes in fear.

"Good." The psycho said calmly, putting his weapon down.

"WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT!" I screamed.

"I tested your reflexes. You passed." He stated plainly.

I just stared at him blankly. What was he on? Why did Yu Yevon put me with this nut case? I was just about to take a deep breath to calm my nerves when, again from nowhere, Takuma attacked once more. This time, it was a downward, vertical slash. I quickly, I guess instinctively, held my blade up horizontally, far out in front of my face. It stopped the strike just barely, his weapon brushing at my bangs. And if only that could've been the worst of the situation. Suddenly, I noticed my arm swerve the other blade to my left, with the use of the sword in its grasp. I moved Takuma's sword to his right and my weapon was freed from the clash, allowing it to continue back around its circular path, and right into a trajectory with Takuma's chest. Without a second thought, my body automatically made me stab him. Why did I do it? I have no idea. It was like at that point, my mind shut down. It was blocked off from the physical world as it witnessed the body it used to control perform actions it wasn't aware of. Takuma fell to the ground… with a smile?

"You have done an excellent job. Your introductory training is almost complete. I see you will be one of my better students." He spoke proudly.

I was so lost. How could this guy be smiling at me when I just killed him? How could this "training" be almost complete? Looking at him, I realized why he wasn't worried about the big metal thing stuck in him.

"You… you're… y-you're not… bleeding. H-how… how can that be?" I stuttered, utterly astounded by this revelation. I stuck my blade into his chest. Dull or not, the thing went through his skin and had to have pierced a few vital organs. He was dead.

"Do you see how much fight you have in you already? With a little more help from me, you'll be invincible in no time. Have you ever tried to deflect a bullet? After I'm through with you, you'll be able to do just that." He said easily, still smiling with my sword embedded in his torso.

"You… you're… a… you're an unsent!" I managed to get out of my mouth, pointing a shaky finger at the warrior.

"Of course, I am, but do not be afraid. I'm here to teach you. You do want to learn how to protect your lady friend, do you not?" He mocked.

"I do, but unsent are ghosts that summoner's frag. Y-you're an unsent. Why would you even consider being anywhere around here? I could just call Yu Yevon here right now to send you." I questioned, never for an instant moving my eyes from the supposed fatal wound I had caused.

"Who was the one that assigned you to me? Did you honestly believe he didn't know of this?"

"But if he did, he'd sent you!" Was I missing something? Unsent are to be sent to the Farplane, right?

"He knows that I am no longer of the living. However, my talents still hold value and therefore I cannot be sent." He enlightened.

I had no idea that there were loopholes like this. Certain unsent were taken away from Spira to the Farplane, but others were allowed to remain? Did it work like that for fiends, too? Some had to be destroyed, but others are supposed to be around? This was a bizarre revelation.

"So, are there rules or stipulations as to who stays and who gets sent?" I asked, wanting to know more.

"As long as you still can serve a purpose on this plane, you must be allowed to stay." He responded plainly, "Now, if you wouldn't mind removing your weapon from my torso, perhaps I can still show you more about fighting aside from using the power of your instincts."

After a few hours of sparring, I was exhausted. Takuma just took it like it was a nice, leisurely stroll through Genusted Park.

"We are finished, for now. I have more to show you, but in due time. When you are in need of it, I will show you all." He cheerfully, well, cheerful for him, stated. Following, he turned his back to me.

"I thought you're never supposed to turn from your enemies!" I exclaimed, leaping at him with my sword held out in front of me. After all, I had to pay him back for before, yes?

Takuma knew what I was attempting and easily fended off the downward slash. "As I said, still much left to show you." He smiled… sorta. I bowed to him, cautiously, and left the sparring grounds to get back to the new summoner.

"Lenne!" I yelled, rushing over to her. She looked like she was going to collapse. "Are you okay?" I asked, keeping my voice down so that it wouldn't disturb her fragile form.

"Yes. Bonding with fayth can be tiresome." She grinned at me before losing consciousness.

"Lenne!" I exclaimed, blatantly revealing my worry.

"She will be fine. New summoners are always removed of their strength when they first unite with a fayth," Yu Yevon stated, giving me a look of reassurance, "She only needs to have some rest, which I am sure you will more than happily provide."

I nodded and began to leave, carrying Lenne in my arms. "I have a question." I stopped to ask.

"I know… What are fayth? What is this bonding? And finally, why are certain unsent left as they are?" Yu Yevon guessed rather accurately, "A fayth is a spirit of one who has been lost to this world. A summoner must bond with a fayth in order to create an Aeon. An Aeon, as I'm sure you've seen, are magnificent creatures of the light born from the dream of the fayth and the power of the summoner. They aid us in our times of peril. Finally, an unsent is not a fayth. They are also departed lives and their souls linger on in the form of pyreflies. However, fayth are people who sacrificed their lives for the greater good and thus they were granted this existence as a reward. Unsent cannot bond with a summoner. Unsent that bond with the living, possess them. Most are to be sent, however, certain peoples who have passed possess something beneficial to generations to come. They are left on Spira to guide the new Spirans, such as yourself. I take it your training with Takuma was enlightening?"

"Was it ever." I breathed, still recalling and recovering from the "incident."

Yu Yevon nodded to me, his face in a pleasant mood. I decided I should get Lenne back to her house so I made a slight bow to show I was taking my leave and carried her out of the complex.

When I got to Lenne's house, I realized that I didn't have her house keys. Lenne had to have them with her so I checked her purse. I haven't a clue as to why women carry those things. The stuff they shove in gets all jumbled together and you can't find a thing.

"Got it." I thought aloud, looking at the keys in my hand.

How cute. She had a moogle key chain and a little fluff ball thing added to her keys. I tried each one and wouldn't you know it, the last key fit. I wonder why that always happens. In any event, I picked Lenne up again and carried her gently inside. I took her unconscious form upstairs to her bedroom after I shut the door, deciding to lock it later rather than have to put her down again to do so.

After I got her in her bed and tucked her in softly, I looked around her room. It was the first time I'd been there in all those months. The two of us were usually out. The place was filled with angels and doves. So many silvery wings. I guess most girls are like that. As for me, my room was really under-decorated. Judging by her room, she'd go crazy if she ever saw it.

"_I can't believe it's so plain! Do you not like yourself or something? Put up a poster, at least. Have some creativity. Put up one of those 'guy' calendars even."_ I smiled at the thought.

I looked at Lenne and decided I should stay the night. I didn't want to be away from her when the last time I saw her awake was when she fainted in my arms. I went downstairs to find a couch. I wasn't going to sleep upstairs in her room and freak her out when she woke up in the morning. We might have been together for some time, but I wasn't going to take that as a heads-up to invade her personal space. I'd rather be in her room when she wanted me to be there. Grabbing a throw pillow, I slumped onto the couch and fell asleep…

… I woke up feeling water all around me. "Huh?" I mumbled, opening my eyes.

A cage? I was in a cage! I picked myself up and noted that the cell was partially submerged in the water.

"Hello? Where am I?" I shouted in a weary voice.

No answer. LENNE! Where was she? I looked around my prison, frantically searching for her. That's when I noticed that the water I was in was somewhat murky. I guessed that I was in the local jail or in some POW cell somewhere outside Zanarkand. Both possibilities seemed ridiculous, though. Jail? I hadn't done anything wrong so there wasn't any logic to that. A POW cell? That couldn't be either since Zanarkand hadn't been in a war for centuries. And even if it was, what would the enemy gain from taking a blitzer captive?

"Lenne?" I called out, seeing if she was anywhere close by.

The sound of gunfire directed my full attention behind me. I saw a dark, cloaked figure shrouded amongst the shade of our surroundings. It was holding some kind of bladed rifle. It must have been that person who fired, but why and at whom?

"Hey! Who are you? Can you get me out?" I asked, attempting to get the aid of this stranger. Who knew if he had shot some of my captives and was trying to rescue me.

It didn't respond. Then, I noticed something next to it, lying in the water. Something was wrong. What was it that was in the water? It didn't look like it was alive. I strained as much as I could in the dimness of the prison to try and figure out what was floating in the water. NO! NO! It couldn't be…

"YOU BASTARD! WHAT DID YOU DO?" I screamed, seeing what it was that was floating lifelessly. It was Lenne. She was face-down in the water, her blood reaching my feet just then. "ANSWER ME! WHY DID YOU KILL HER?" I screamed again. "IF I GET OUT OF THIS CAGE, YOU ARE DEAD! DO YOU HEAR ME! DEAD!" I roared, tears beginning to stream down the sides of my face.

She was gone. That damn bastard took her away from me. I felt the rage boiling in my veins. My eyes were not working right anymore. All I could see was the color red. She couldn't be gone. It couldn't be over like that.

"Why… Why did you kill her?" I shouted, my voice losing its ferocity as a new emotion took its place, despair.

The woman I thought I loved had been shot dead. She was gone. I cried uncontrollably, my tears blinding my vision. I couldn't let it see me like this. This wasn't the time for grief. It was time for revenge. I just needed to get out of this stupid cage.

"LET ME OUTTA HERE!" I shrieked, shaking at the bars madly, overwhelmed by a surge of hatred.

The cloaked figure walked slowly towards me. It laughed, causing me to shiver. The laugh wasn't a human laugh. It didn't sound at all like it came from a man or a woman or even a beast. The creature continued to laugh, in its devilish fashion, as it pulled off the cloak. What! The figure was… Areth? The star player of the Bevelle Jowiles killed my Lenne? It would explain the smirk from before, but… he killed… Lenne… That… that…

"SON OF A BITCH!" I howled, throwing myself against the bars of the cage. "I'll KILL YOU!" I screamed, my voice cracking from so much abuse.

He just gazed at me with a hideous grin, shaking his head and waving a finger at me, to mock my current disposition. Slowly, he began to walk towards me again. When he reached the front of the cage, I thrust my arms out through the bars and grabbed his neck. I squeezed hard. The foul murderer was going to suffer for what he did. I didn't care if it would mean I'd be trapped in the cell. I wanted him dead.

"How could you?" I grumbled, the hoarseness in my voice throwing off the anger boiling in my veins.

He smiled at me, a smile I'd never forget. I grasped his neck harder, having a hard time snapping it. I knew I wasn't stopping myself, but his neck wasn't cracking. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my gut. Did he kick me? No… This pain was made from an incision. I looked down at my waist. The blade of his rifle had been jabbed straight into my middle.

I winced as he began to pull the blade upward. "I'll… kill… you… FIRST!" I growled, squeezing that much more. It still wasn't working. His neck was unbelievably reinforced.

"Dammit… DIE!" I breathed, losing my strength as the blade inched its way closer to my heart.

My blood drained from the wound and my efforts were waning. Then, he fired. The bullet hit my stomach at such a close range that it tore straight through my body, escaping from my back. I coughed blood into Areth's face. He just stared at me with that grin. Roughly, he shoved me to the ground, back into the murky water I woke up in. I couldn't get up again. My strength was exhausted. I lost. Lenne couldn't be avenged.

I looked up at Areth, gasping for whatever breath I could, still trying to snap the bastard's neck. My vision was beginning to cloud, but I could still make out a relatively clear picture of him. He aimed his weapon at me again, this time pointing it higher on my body. He was going to shoot me straight in my face. I tried to close my eyes, but for some reason, they remained open. I saw him glare at me, still baring that sadistic grin that he hadn't removed since taking off his cloak. I saw the gun's barrel staring at me in the eye. I saw the bullet leave that barrel just as soon as I heard the blast when he pulled the trigger. I saw it, the object of my doom, coming towards me, laughing at me and the pain and fear I was experiencing. The bullet got within a hair's distance and…


	8. Chapter 7

_Chapter 7: Prelude to Destruction_

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I woke with a start.

It was only a dream? That whole time and it was just a dream? Why did I have such a nightmare? Something wasn't adding up. I was peaceful until I fell asleep. What was happening? Would this dream become reality? No. I wouldn't allow that. Slowly, I moved my cold, sweat-covered body back down onto the couch. Wait! Lenne! I quickly pulled myself back up to check up on her.

When I got there, she was still sound asleep. I was overjoyed. She wasn't hurt. My dream was just a dream. She wasn't gone. She was safely resting in her own bed, same as I had left her before. I slumped down to the ground on one of her walls. This couldn't keep up in my head. I couldn't let one dream mess me up forever. Lenne was fine, perfectly fine. I needn't worry about her.

I went back downstairs to try and get a little more rest. It took me forever to get into a comfortable enough position to fall asleep again. I had to make sure not to sleep on my back, seeing how that was how I saw myself die. I couldn't sleep face-down because that was how that dream started. Sleeping on my left or right wasn't working out because I kept seeing Lenne's lifeless body floating in that filthy water. I finally got into a semi-right facing, semi-back position that worked out, but just as my mind began to shut down again, I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She was awake. A new day was upon us.

"Good morning." Lenne voiced, rubbing my left arm seductively.

"Hey there." I replied incredibly groggily.

I must have sounded like I just had a hang over. I hate nightmares. I sat up lazily, making a hoarse yawn and all the while, she just thought I was exhausted from all the training and the added effort of carrying her home. Actually, it would have made perfect sense to believe that. We did walk to Yu Yevon's office and the training I had was ridiculously out of sorts. I thanked her naiveté in my sport. The many years of training as a blitzer definitely paid dividends in giving me the stamina to last that long.

As per usual, we had some breakfast and chatted, but this time around, my mind wasn't there. Even looking at Lenne's vibrant form couldn't shake the harsh memories of my dreams.

"What's the matter? You look worried about something." She asked, looking at me with concern. It figured she knew something happened to me.

"I'd rather not say." I answered her, knowing full well that this kind of a response would just make her worry even more about me.

"Shuyin, if something's wrong, please tell me!" She urged, grabbing my hand.

Her sorrowful gaze pained me to see, but I still couldn't find the words to tell her. How could I? It would only scare her more if I told her about my dream. Besides, it was only a dream, right? It was that damn realism of it that frustrated me so.

"Lenne… I'm sorry… I just can't… I just…" I gave up.

I didn't know how to tell her without hurting her that I couldn't speak with her on the account of my nightmare. We stood in silence for some time, neither one of us knowing what to say or what to do. Finally, Lenne broke the silence.

"Well, if you don't feel like telling me, maybe you'd feel more comfortable discussing it with one of your blitz friends." She suggested. It was probably suggested with some disappointment on her part, but I really had to fake ignorance.

"You're probably right. I should talk to somebody." It was still a good idea despite what her true intentions might have been. But… "But, what are you gonna be doing today? I don't want to leave you by yourself if it'll end up like yesterday." I asked her, recalling the moment she fainted in my arms.

"You never know. I might even get my first assignment. Yu Yevon did see much potential in me. It's alright, though. You don't have to worry about me. He wouldn't give a beginner a job that's too tough. Maybe I'll just have to fend off a few fiends. With Valefor by my side, that shouldn't be a problem." She responded with a confident smile.

She'd be fighting fiends? By herself? I couldn't leave her like this. No, she'd never let me stay. I had to think of something, though. "Do you have my telcom number?" I wondered even though I knew I had given her that number already.

"Of course. You gave me your number, remember?" She told me.

"That's right. I was just making sure. If anything goes wrong, give me a call right away. I'm really sorry for leaving like this. You know I wouldn't if I didn't have something on my chest that I just have to get off, right? Maybe I should just put it off until tomorrow."

"No, Shuyin. You seem terribly worried about something and you should tell somebody. Like I said, you don't have to worry about me. I'll make sure to call you the minute there's trouble, okay?"

Perhaps I was thinking too much into this. I've seen summoners before. They can handle themselves rather well. Besides, Yu Yevon did tell me that it was just due to her being a novice that she lost consciousness like that. "Okay, I'll talk to Rothel about it then, but make sure you call me if you run into any trouble, any at all." I reiterated, specifying whom I'd be speaking with while I was at it.

That put a smile on her face. "Good. It isn't healthy to bottle up your feelings. One day, that bottle will explode." She spoke with a philosophical air, waving her arms around in an attempt to show me my exploding self.

"If that was true, I'd be a big smear on the walls and floor by now. But you're right. Thank you…" I replied, remembering the days of my childhood.

Before I became a blitz champion, before I became such a star and had the spotlight on me, before I was the "next Jecht," I used to be an outcast. People, my peers, disliked me for some reason or another and I hated that. Early on, it was because I preferred the ideals of the past generation rather than my own. Whenever I was confronted, my temper would speak for me, making them see me as a monster. After my parents' deaths, aside from being a "bastard", I liked to think to myself and maybe think about where my life was headed while my peers of that age would only care about material things to impress their friends or girls. I didn't bother with the latest fads and fashions or care to follow the crowd. As I said before, I preferred the old days, times prior to my birth. Displaying this uniqueness apparently caused my early alienation. Of course, once I showed this city my blitzball talents, that all disappeared and I became the most popular guy around. That's when I started calling myself Tidus. I didn't want them to know me. They didn't care for Shuyin, the deviant. They only cared about Tidus, the star of the Zanarkand Abes, and that's what they'd get. But, enough about my past…

"I'll see ya later." I said to Lenne, gazing into her hazel eyes before turning to leave, those same images still haunting my mind.

"Thank you… for bringing me home. I appreciate it greatly." She spoke to my back. I smiled and continued on my way out the door.

"You're very welcome…" I whispered back, not bothering to turn as it would only refresh the nightmare of her lifeless body.

Finding my old pal wasn't going to be too difficult. All you needed to know was the guy's niche. See, the season had just ended which meant one thing for Rothel… He'd be at the stadium working off the rest of his built-up energy from concentrating on getting the gold. He was like this even before I joined the team.

"Hey, man!" Rothel exclaimed when I found him in the lounge. "Long time no speak. You always been busy as o' late. What's goin' on wit ya? I heard these rumors that you was seein' a summoner chick. And ya know, ya still haven't said a word 'bout that thing wit Lenne. Did ya call her?"

"The rumors are true. I'm seeing a summoner. Where did you hear that, though?" I answered and then asked.

"This friend o' mine, Firde, he datin' a summoner also, and she told him that the great Tidus was hooked up wit one of the new summoners, ya know?" Rothel replied.

"I suppose this girl didn't tell him who this newbie summoner was?" I asked, noting that my friend never mentioned these two people being one in the same.

"Nope. Guess I'd like to hear it from the horse's mouth." He said.

"Well, I called Lenne. She's really great… but that's not what I wanted to talk about." I responded, giving my street-smart teammate a vague answer and trying to change the subject.

My ploy almost worked as he said, "Wait, lemme get this straight. So, your goin' out wit a summoner and the hottest songstress in all this here town's ever seen? And I'm the last to know? Damn, this kid's tryin' to one-up me. Ya damn lucky, ya know?"

"Yea, but anyway, I wanted to tell you about this dream I had." I tried to get back to my original reason for being there.

"Hey, Tidus!" Another one of my teammates came up from behind Rothel.

"Oh hi, Vena." I said, slightly annoyed at the interruption the girl had created.

"So, you was sayin'." Rothel egged me to continue.

"Saying what? What were you two talking about?" Vena interjected.

"I had this freaky dream yesterday…" I began, no longer caring that this conversation was now between the three of us when I'd only planned on discussing it with Rothel.

"I was stuck in this cage that was in some water. This guy in a black cape and hood shot… this girl and then he shot me twice." I really didn't want to get into specifics on the identities of the two people in my dream.

"Aw, did poor Tidus wet his pants?" I heard a third voice coming from behind me. I turned to see another Abe, our goalie, Kion.

"No, I didn't wet my pants. I'm trying to be serious here." I grumbled at him.

"Dude, sorry man. Didn't know. Thought you mighta just been kiddin'. Whoa! Like check out the colors my hand's making. Trippy…" He muttered, obviously stoned.

"Anyway, as I was saying, the guy in the cloak shot me once in my chest and once… in… my… head." I slowed as I finished, noticing how Rothel was staring at me, his mouth gaped wide open.

"Sheesh… Ya know, I heard that if ya die in a dream, ya die for real, but you survived." He wowed.

"No, I didn't actually see the bullet hit my head. I saw it just about to hit my head and I woke up so it probably doesn't count. That's beside the point, though. What do ya think this could all mean?" I asked.

Kion was the first to answer, stating, "Dude, that is totally wacked out man. Wanna know what I think, though? I think that you and that girl need to watch out. I heard that dreams were like premonitions of like reality, ya see. Like if you saw yourself get shot, you will get shot sooner or later. I'd just be a little careful, dude. Wouldn't want our ace to have a fall, eh?" When he finished, he collapsed on the floor, drooling on Vena's shoe.

"Ill, disgusting." She squealed before adding, after wiping the saliva off first, of course, "You know Tidus, I heard that same thing that Kion was talking about. I think the dream could probably foretell some part of the future. Like, you in the cage is saying that sometime in the future, you're going to commit a crime and that girl might try to save you and a guard will kill her. You probably say something that provokes the guard to kill you, too. You are pretty good at that, T."

"Wow, that's comforting. I get to know that I become a criminal in my future and drag… that girl into it, too. Real great for the conscience." I sarcastically answered.

"No, I didn't mean for it to sound like that. I was just saying that maybe you get arrested for some reason or another and the girl tries to break you out. I never said that you were arrested for committing a real crime. Nobody said our justice system was flawless. Besides, you would never do something like that." She tried to appease.

"That's just as comforting. So then, I get arrested for nothing and get shot for it. Ugh, I'm sorry Veevee. It's just… I really hope that's not the case." I responded, very much stressed.

"Buddy, I wouldn't worry too much. I never cared too much 'bout my dreamin', ya know? It happens. I mean I dreamt that the blitz stadium blew up and we just beat some tough kids, too. That'd suck, ya know? But I mean, who cares? These things don't come true. That why they dreams." Rothel offered.

I decided that I liked his answer. "I think you're right, Rothel. A dream's just a dream. No harm can come from it. I guess I was just stressed out." I said to the two, not revealing that I really just worried this much about a nightmare because of Lenne's safety.

"Well, I gotta be headin' out, so unless you got anymore o' them dreams ya wanna share wit me, ciao." Rothel said smoothly.

"Yea, I'll see ya later, too, T. I've got some parties to hit. The season's over so this girl needs to hang loose and have some fun. Bye!" Vena waved, moving towards the exit while taking her hover-glyph keys out of her purse.

I decided that there wasn't anything left to say, so I chose to leave, as well. Not like if I had stayed, Kion would suddenly wake up and have something important to add to the conversation. I left the stadium and started for home, thinking to myself about both the possibilities I'd been handed about my dream. Premonition… or simply a typical, everyday nightmare.

On the way, though, I felt a sudden brush of cold and, when I looked further down the road, I saw him, Takuma.

"Are you prepared for your next lesson?" He asked, with the same calm attitude as the other night.

"What? Right now? Are you kidding me? We can't…" I started to say, completely bewildered by his abrupt entrance and statement.

It wasn't only because of my concentration being diverted to my dream, but also, the madman wanted me to consent to a duel in the middle of a public street. What if someone intercepted one of our strikes? Accidents happen and they happen more consistently out in the open. He couldn't possibly be serious…

"Yes." He replied monotonously.

Just then, he unsheathed his sword and swung it at my head. I, in turn, pulled out the practice sword he'd given me and blocked the assault. My teacher quickly pushed off of my block, swung around the opposite way, and swiped at my feet. I fell to the ground with a loud thud. As soon as I picked myself up, his sword was pressed to my throat.

"Now is the time your true strength shall be revealed. Show me your power." He grinned.

I assumed he was expecting me not to just stand there. Fine. I performed a backward somersault, Takuma's blade sliding down my chest just far enough from my body so that it didn't cut. When my feet touched his sword, I tightened them on it, hurling it into the air as I kept moving back. When I finished the somersault, the sword fell right into my hand. With that, I possessed two weapons.

"Very well done." Takuma applauded.

As he said this, I realized that I was holding an unsent's sword. It puzzled me how I was able to hold an object owned by a dead guy. It should be all ghostly intangible, right? Although, I did manage to stab him before. Perhaps I just hadn't enough knowledge regarding the properties of an unsent. I always figured them to be untouchable spirits like the scary stories made them out to be.

Suddenly, as my thoughts ended, that practice sword I originally had exploded into blue-colored pyreflies, spreading all around me. The other sword, the one I had just acquired from my undead trainer, started to glow a faint yellow light. The blue pyreflies of my sword, swirled about faster, focusing on Takuma's blade. It consumed the weapon and the light shattered, giving way for the glowing blue streams to take its place. Once it was nearly complete, I felt it pulsate and my mind flashed before the sword finished with a sapphire glow. It changed. A moment later, the glow died down a bit and the saber glistened with a silvery luster while still encased in its cocoon of light.

"Its strength is yours, now. You've made a fine weapon. As long as you wield this blade, you shall never breathe failure." He claimed proudly, a solemn and stern tone emanating from his words.

Unfortunately, his statement was lost to me. I still remember thinking that it was a joke. I just got a magical sword that made me invincible. Did I believe that? No.

"However, you must never ever forget where your true strength lies… your heart." He followed.

I thought I was trapped in some sappy hero movie. I wasn't some comic book, "up, up, and away," tights-wearing loser. C'mon, I was just a guy with a cool looking new weapon. End of story.

"Uh… okay?" I replied, unable to hide neither my sarcasm nor my skepticism.

"Do not take your abilities lightly. If you should lose your way, forever will you be haunted by darkness." He warned.

Okay, so that means if I'm lost, I'll be in the dark… Yea, makes perfect sense. "Sure, I'll make sure to bring a map?" I joked with a slight tilt of my head.

This guy was insane! He gave me a really great transforming sword that could glow blue. It was like he thought he had given me the key to the universe or something. Sheesh, talk about exaggerations.

"… I fear your future…" Takuma finished, a grim expression on his face as he turned from me. Then, he vanished from sight…

I shuddered at that sentence. What did he mean by that? Did he know what my dream meant? Was Vena correct? Did I have to keep a look out on the actions Lenne and I performed? Was she in d… -Ring-

"Hello?" I answered, picking up my telcom.

"Shuyin! Hurry and get to Macalania! I need you!" Lenne's voice screamed through the tiny, plastic device, the vidscreen showing that she was running and starting to grow fatigued from it. -Click- She hung up… or was forced to.

I quickly sheathed my new blade in the scabbard that had appeared at my side during the battle, hooked onto the right side of my belt. As with my sword, even the dull scabbard had changed, fitting my weapon perfectly.

"I'm coming Lenne." I thought to myself, the fear of my dream looming over me as I dashed towards my house.

"Lenne!" I shouted into the forest. It had taken me close to an hour to run back to my house and drive my hover-glyph to Macalania.

The huge amount of time worried me the whole trip that I'd be too late and I floored the accelerator, haphazardly racing along the streets. Takuma's last statement carved itself onto every crevice of my mind.

"Lenne!" I screamed, desperately hoping for an answer, walking deeper into Macalania.

A few moments passed and there was no answer. I traveled even further into the trees and heard a beep when I stepped on something. Kneeling on one knee to take a look, I saw that it was Lenne's telcom.

"LENNE!" Wide-eyed at the broken device, I frantically called and searched the brush.

About a minute later, my tension was slightly eased. "Shuyin! Help me!" Lenne shrieked, running in my direction, accompanied by an injured Aeon and… a huge black wolf thing that I could only assume was a fiend.

I unsheathed my "invincible" weapon, taking a mental sigh of relief that she wasn't harmed. "Lenne! Get behind me!"

Without any time wasted, I stepped in front of her and put some distance between them, pointing my blade at the beast. It growled, its fangs gleaming with the light of the moon. Two red eyes stared with fiery rage and the wolf charged. It lunged at my upper torso, most likely to get at my jugular, and I swiped its jaw. The fiend fell back, howling in pain. Recovering, it snarled, slamming a paw into the ground. Streaks of fire scorched their way towards me. Figuring it would only reach via earth, I made a cut, horizontally to me. As I predicted, the flames stopped at the scar, simmering there for a bit before going out. I felt my adrenaline pumping and stalked towards it, sword held in front of my face as a defensive measure. In turn, the beast also defended, awaiting my attack. With my heart pumping furiously, I ran at it, making a surprise cartwheel before leaping into the air for a flip. Finally, I slammed the sword at the ground, trying to slice the fiend in half. It dodged at the last second and I made a small dent in the landscape. The wolf leaped to catch me off guard, but I held out the saber, the length of it pointing to the black creature while it attempted to pounce me. I fell on my back, landing harshly on the grass. However, the fiend had landed with its neck on the tip of my blade. The weight of the beast's fall impaled it on my sword and it cried in pain, dispersing into pyreflies. From those pyreflies arose a man holding a torch. He smiled warmly before walking over to Lenne.

I watched on in amazement as he became pyreflies once more, surrounding my love in a cloak of rainbow-colored light. Her body began to float as she absorbed each pyrefly right into her heart. Her eyes were closed and her hands were out to her sides, looking perfectly along with her hair as it flow freely. As the last pyrefly entered her form, she descended back to the ground, landing softly, with a grace no one could equal.

She opened her eyes slowly, taking in a breath of air as she quietly whispered, "I think I just received my second Aeon."

"That's how you bond? Wow…" I stared at her in wonder.

What it must have felt like to have pyreflies enter your body. "What did it feel like?" I asked, my eye still showing my astonishment at the sight I just beheld.

"What does what feel like?" She said in reiteration, not realizing that I had never seen this before.

"The… the thing with the pyreflies." I stuttered, motioning my arms like an idiot in an attempt to show her what I saw.

"Well, it… it feels… strange." It didn't surprise me that she couldn't find the right words. "It makes you feel cold on the inside, but your skin seems to be on fire."

I gave her a puzzled look. I hadn't a single clue as to what she meant. "It feels a little like that first time you kissed me… except the other way around…" She blushed as she finished.

It was a bit clearer to me then. I don't know about her, but when I kissed her that day after her "private concert," I felt like my internal organs were burning up yet my skin was cold as steel. At the time, I just blamed it on nerves. In any case, that was enough to tell me what she had felt when she got her latest summon. What an experience…

The magic of the area, the just passed event, and her surreal presence suddenly sparked a break in time, a small period of serene bliss. I got up off the grass, walked over to her slowly, and pulled her into a gentle embrace. She placed her hands onto my chest, resting her head on top of them, and the two of us just remained like that for a while, taking in the moment

A few minutes later, we decided to leave the mystical place, warm in our hearts with the memory of that moment. Unfortunately, no good thing lasts forever and this would be no different. I heard someone approaching from afar.

"Well done. So, I see little miss popstar has finally received the power of a flame elemental." Lenne frowned at the voice in the distance.

I turned to face a woman about Lenne's age. She wore a white shirt that tied around her neck and had no back. The sleeves were rather large and there was some kind of silky, sash-like, sheet thing (I know clothes like the back of my hand, don't I.) that wrapped around the girl's waist, acting sort of like a belt. It covered up the lower half of her shirt and the upper part of her purple dress. Underneath the dress, you could tell she was wearing a pair of black leather, high-heel boots.

"I've already gotten enough fayth in me to summon most of the Aeons. Aside from Valefor like all the beginners, I have an Ixion, an Ifrit… better than the one you just got, I'm sure, and even a Shiva. All I need now is Bahamut and you can just call me high summoner Trista." The woman gloated, as I thought about how anyone could be more conceited.

Lenne just hung her head, unsuccessfully hiding her anger. "Aw, did I make the little songbird mad? I'm sooooooo sorry." The rival summoner mocked.

Her callous behavior was starting to piss me off. "Look, little Miss Bitch, Lenne just started this yesterday, so ya know what? BACK OFF! And if you don't, I wouldn't be surprised if she shuts that trap right now. And if she doesn't, I'm afraid she'd lose her chance. You understand?" I growled, pointing my finger sharply at her face.

"Ooh, I'm sooooooooo scared. Can you just see me shivering in my boots?" She sneered, unimpressed by my outburst.

"Shu… Tidus… don't…" Lenne whispered to me, pulling at my other arm to try and get me to back off.

"So, Tidus, huh? The big time blitzer is dating this bit of airhead trash? I wouldn't know what you see in this prissy little spoiled bitch." She laughed, staring at Lenne with her green eyes.

I couldn't take anymore. I wasn't known for my good temperament and with this Trista badmouthing my Lenne, I just lost all control over my temper. Stomping over to the witch, though I mean another word entirely, I lifted her off the ground by the neck.

"Don't you EVER call her that again! You refer to her by her name and ONLY her name! Understand? Otherwise, you won't be using that hole in your face ever again!" I roared, glaring at the bitch with my blue eyes. The calm lake had just witnessed a massive tidal wave.

"You think I'm scared?" The woman sneered, beginning to show signs of suffocation.

"I think fear would be appropriate since I could snap your neck right now." I snarled, the once peaceful blue in my eyes becoming a cold blue of ice.

"Fine. I give. Sorry, _Lenne_." She said.

Even choking out those words didn't hide the tone she used in saying her name. I put her down. It wasn't worth it. She'd get hers sooner or later. The woman turned and walked away with her head held high. I didn't care. Somewhere down the line, that prideful head'll get cut down.

I turned back to Lenne as she peered into my eyes, tears welled up in her own. "Sorry about that." I apologized, immediately looking away.

"You didn't have to choke her like that." She stated, her voice torn with concern.

I turned back to her slowly, my eyes returning to the calm blue ponds of old. "I just couldn't contain my anger. I don't want people mistreating you like that." I said, the pitch in my tone showing my hurt from what Trista had said about her.

"I know you care about me, but I can stick up for myself." She responded with a small air of confidence, an obvious ploy to prevent my actions from repeating.

"I'll always fight for you." I responded, "Even if you can defend yourself."

She frowned slightly, but eventually sighed and gave the faintest of smiles, looking away somewhat. We took a minute to relax ourselves from the situation and then we walked back to my hover-glyph.

"… After all, I still am your guardian, right?" I told her, starting up my vehicle. My joke worked as she laughed a little, the precious smile reappearing on her beautiful face.

When we got to her house, she got out of the hover and grabbed me by the arm to get me out of it in a hurry. "Want to see me summon?" She asked enthusiastically.

"Sure!" I replied with equal zeal, wanting to know what it looked like.

She walked away from me and stopped in the middle of her front yard. Closing her eyes, she twirled in dance, holding her hand up above her head. It didn't look at all different from the simplest of her dances until light started to shine around her, creating a patterned circle on the floor. She finished by throwing her left arm straight up into the air and standing on her left leg. Pyreflies flew out of the hand she threw up and formed a pillar of fire behind her. Suddenly, there came a howl and the fire exploded into a maelstrom of embers to reveal an extraordinary creature. I stared at the beast in complete awe as Lenne opened her eyes, taking in a recuperating breath as she turned around to face her new Aeon. It stretched and made yet another earth-shaking howl, bits of ash scattering in the wind. Lenne clasped her hands together and jumped a little at her success. I walked over to her and put my arm around the small of her back.

"So this is…" I said with implication, asking her for the name of the Aeon.

"This is an Ifrit. It wields fire. It can use the black magic spells Fire, Fira, and Firaga, and it has a special attack called Hell Fire." She informed me, reciting her guidebook.

"Wow…" I was still shocked at the blazing creature standing before me. The beast looked like an orange and blue covered werewolf with horns and two enormous gold claws. My Lenne had created that.

"Let me show you what it can do!" Lenne was really excited about getting her second summon and who could blame her?

"Okay." I was also eager to see what this Aeon could do. I've seen the bird thing, but this guy was totally new for me.

"Ifrit! Use your Fira spell!" Lenne commanded the giant creature.

It roared and enveloped a tree in flames. My mouth hung as I watched in horror and excitement, gazing at the scorched plant of Ifrit's handiwork. I guess Lenne got a little too frightened by it because she tensed up in my embrace and recalled the summoned beast.

"That was so cool." I stammered, still staring at the tree.

"I'd better call Valefor to blow it out." She said, performing her summoning dance again, this time altering the movements for the different Aeon.

This time, the creature that formed behind her resulted from a whirlwind born out of the heavens. After the winds died down, the bird creatures I'd seen flying over Zanarkand many times in my life appeared, shrieking to sigh in its presence.

"Valefor, use your Sonic Wings! Blow the fire out!" She ordered the bird, pointing at the singed, probably fresh charcoal by then, tree. It complied as it began flapping its wings, causing the tree to splinter into lots of flaming pieces of timber.

"Uh, Lenne? I think that attack might have been the wrong choice." I stated the obvious, I know.

Lenne quickly told the Aeon to use its Blizzard attack, which did the trick, as icicles began to rain down in front of us. The tree was destroyed, but at least it didn't burn anything else.

"I guess I need more practice." Lenne whispered as she recalled her summon.

I just looked at her. "What?" She asked.

I love you. Why couldn't I say it? "Uh, you'll turn out to be a great summoner. Just you wait and see." I said, replacing what I wanted to say.

"Oh… thank you. Are you sure that's what you wanted to say, though? You're giving that tree weird looks and I think I should be jealous." She asked in a playful manner, giving me a mischievous look.

"Yea… Hey, it's getting late. You should probably get some sleep. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Lenne." I said, beginning to get back into my hover-glyph.

"Tomorrow then. Goodbye…" Her voice echoed in my mind as I pulled away from her house to go back home.

Why couldn't I tell her that I love her? Was it because my heart wasn't sure? No, I was sure… wasn't I? I had to be. I just needed the right moment to tell her, that was all.


	9. Chapter 8

_Chapter 8: Lights, Cameras, Summon!_

A month had passed since my first time viewing an Aeon's power. At this point in time, Lenne had become much stronger, obtaining a few more Aeons to add to her arsenal. Let me think:

She still had the Valefor and Ifrit from before, but a short while later, she managed to get an Ixion, a Shiva following shortly after when we cornered a mermaid fiend up in a cave on Gagazet. Then she received the power of Odin to compliment Ixion and Kinok, an Aeon that resulted from a huge, black snake fiend known as a Chac. Next came, Zaroth and then the greatest Aeon, in my opinion, Bahamut. Ixion was this horse-headed guardian spirit-like being with the poise of an enlightened bishop and the awesome command of electricity. Odin had the same kind of power, but it was much more magnified, its form being that of a knight bearing twin jousts as its chief weapon. Shiva was this blue-skinned woman with blue eyes and long, gold-braided blue hair. Her element should be obvious; it's ice and the goddess of frost was quite the femme fatale when needed. Kinok was this tan lizard creature that walked on all fours. It didn't really look too intimidating, but looks don't matter; this lizard could use some serious earth-based attacks. Adding to that, its Quake Burst was nothing to scoff at either. Zaroth was a half-bat half-human creature. He walked on two legs and had human appendages, but on his back were two giant bat-like wings that he could use as a cape. His attire was rather archaic, but he had the poise of a dignified gentleman. Can you say Dracula? This guy kinda scared me a bit. After all, the first time Lenne summoned it, the thing hypnotized her and looked like it was gonna take a little drink, so I had to take care of it. After that, I made sure that Lenne never summoned it again. Anyway, Bahamut is the best out of all of them. She got it from a fayth that looked like a hooded girl, about the age of eight or so. Suffice it to say, at the time, I thought it would be some kind of pixie-looking Aeon. I was dead wrong. The Aeon, Bahamut, was a gigantic dragon/bird beast and it was awesome. It had enormous and menacing eagle-like wings and its head looked as intimidating as its massive and highly armored body. Not only that, but it had this attack named Mega Flare that still sends a shiver down my spine when I see it. It was a brutal strike. The first time I saw it, it used it on these fiends that Lenne and I were fighting and those guys didn't stand a chance. With one relentless onslaught of energy, those fiends were done for. Once the stream of raw power struck, they were gone. I mean gone as in vanished without a trace, just like that. I never wanted to have to fight that.

By that time, I noticed that the theme to Lenne's songs had undergone a change. They no longer focused on finding love, believing in yourself, and never giving up on your dreams, themes that all her past albums held. Instead, they seemed to be focused on her new addition to life, her summoning abilities. For instance, her latest song was "Aeons of Light." Her developing album contained about eight summoner-related songs. The girl had Aeons on the brain. Then again, I guess I couldn't blame her for it. I mean, first of all, Aeons and the summoner's abilities were really something to behold. Secondly, I myself was occupying my time slaying lots of fiends for practice. Throughout the month, Takuma kept training me in his "special" way and I was enjoying every minute. I loved my sword. It was such a pretty sword. Okay, that was disturbing.

Anyway, as I was saying, another month elapsed and I was with Lenne on the battlefield. What was the opponent? It was this really big crab thing with wings known as a Raver. With all the training I'd gone through, my swordplay could have cut it down to size easily. However, I decided to let Lenne take care of the fiend instead. I watched as she performed her usual dance when summoning. The creature she called for was the one I liked the most, Bahamut. A huge wind began to blow and the heavens tore open with a tremendous ray of light. The one became many, multiple colors glistening against a pure blue sky. With a great roar, the Aeon emerged, plummeting from the center of the rift at an impossible velocity. With a fierce landing, it bellowed once again and used the spell Firaga on the fiend, immersing the Raver in flames. That didn't affect the water-based creature too much, though, as it swung its claw at the mighty dragon. Of course, Bahamut didn't feel a thing, allowing the puny fiend a moment of glory. Growling at the fiend's pitiful attempt, it stood strong in defiance to the crab, crossing its massive arms across its chest to await the command of its summoner.

"Unleash your Mega Flare, Bahamut!" Lenne commanded.

I watched, as I always had, the massive beast anchoring itself into the earth and charging a tremendous amount of energy collected by the golden ring on its back. With a jerk of its ferocious head, Bahamut shot the crab with its most powerful attack, vaporizing it completely.

"Still sends shivers down my spine every time." I voiced, allowing the sound to drift, as my eyes stared at the space where that Raver fiend had been.

"I know what you mean." Lenne agreed, also letting her voice drift. Bahamut was definitely an awe-inspiring creature. Lenne called it back and the dragon obeyed, vanishing into nothingness once more.

The two of us began to stroll around idly, eventually reaching the gates of Guadosalam, home of the Guado… and their Guado Glories blitz team. Lenne pranced over to the Moonflow and I decided to follow and see what she was up to. She gazed at the crystal waters and I pondered to myself what she was thinking.

"This place feels so nice, doesn't it?" She asked, closing her eyes to take in the atmosphere.

"Yea… Anywhere with you is nice to me, though." I answered quietly, smacking myself mentally at the pitiful attempt to imply the words "I love you." No, I still couldn't say it. Why? Obviously, I loved her. Why couldn't I just simply say those three little words?

"You are such a flirt." Lenne giggled, bringing my attention back to her, her seraphic reflection gliding across the pristine waters.

"I'm serious. Even if we were in that cave under Mushroom Rock Road, I'd still feel great if you were there with me." I honestly claimed, knowing full well that it had to be true. As long as the heart is satisfied, the body is satisfied. It was something I picked up from a while back.

"You're just too good to be true." She joked, looking back at the Moonflow, the gentle breeze blowing softly at her silky strands.

"Lenne! I never showed you how to play blitz! Let me teach you!" I yelled, full of enthusiasm. We gazed at the water for such a long time that I felt really stupid not to have thought of it.

"What? Me? I can't play blitzball." She stammered, extremely nervous and lacking in the self-confidence she had as a songstress.

"Aw, c'mon. You showed me how to sing and play the organ when I doubted myself. Let's go back to Zanarkand stadium and I'll teach you." I egged, not letting my beautiful brunette companion back down.

"Unh… Okay… You talked me into it. I'll try playing blitz, but you have to go easy on me!" She said, giving in but with a stipulation, "I've seen how rough you get in that pool."

I knew she was scared. I was horrified when Lenne wanted to teach me to sing. However, I didn't think she would have thought that I would go pro-style on her in her very first practice.

"No problem. I'll go easy on ya. Don't worry about it. I wouldn't dare hurt you. I…" Dammit, I still couldn't say it. I wanted to kick myself right there, but Lenne didn't seem to notice my abrupt finish so I let it go… again.

We started out for home via the Mushroom Rock Road, but she stopped when we approached the chasm with the cave I spoke about earlier. "What? You want to test out my claims?" I asked with a jest.

"No, it's not that. It's just…" She started to say. Her words were abruptly ended by a shrill shriek that erupted from the depths of the cave.

"What was that?" I asked, looking to Lenne with a slight bit of concern.

"It's that something that I felt before. C'mon, Shuyin! Let's go see what it is!" She said, rushing off toward that hole in the ravine.

"Hey! Wait up!" I yelled, running after her. It couldn't be anything good in there. I couldn't let Lenne be hurt.

When we were inside, the place was very dimly lit, the only source of light coming from the entrance or the small collection of pyreflies idly floating around.

"Fire." Lenne exclaimed in a whisper, trying to be as quiet as possible.

A fireball formed and hovered above her palm and she pushed it up a little, letting it take on a life of its own. The ball of flame glided around us as we searched the area, hearing a scream or angered grumbles now and again.

"I don't like this. This place is filled with sorrow and despair. The walls are alive with it." Lenne whispered, very frightened.

"I know. The temperature dropped at least ten degrees since we got here and I'm not talking about the cave." I whispered back, unsheathing my sword. Those screams of anguish and the tension within the cavern were proof enough to show that I'd be needing it.

We heard one final scream and a body, judging initially by density it was a male body, came crashing into me. I fell to the stone floor hard. "Agh!" I managed to voice, just before I crashed.

By looks, this person was killed and the murdering weapon was probably strangulation. It had no external wounds so whatever killed him, it was organ-failure related. While moving the dead body, I heard Lenne gasp.

"What?" I grunted, pushing away the corpse. Then, I saw it. Well, not an it. It was a man. He was glowing, like my sword had, with a yellow light, pyreflies flowing in and out of him casually.

"How dare you! All of you have caused my damnation!" The guy accused psychotically, pointing at me, the corpse, and Lenne. He walked over slowly, Lenne completely petrified.

"Stay away from her!" I yelled, slashing at him with my sword. He didn't seem to care too much, scowling down at me before he smacked me across the face. I went flying. This guy was strong.

"Y-you're an u-u-uns-s-sent." Lenne stuttered, eyes wide in fear as the unsent began to approach her, a trembling hand outstretched as if to try and throttle her.

"Lenne!" I screamed, regaining the ghost's attention.

I lunged at him, sword held above me. Again, I felt my heart racing, just like it had when I fought the Ifrit fiend incarnation, and performed the same maneuver I had then. I landed in front of him; the saber had just cut his body in half. Looking up, I saw his cold glare pierce at my soul's core before he suddenly began shrieking in pain and losing his footing, pyreflies exploding from his deteriorating body. What was it about the unsent? Right. They needed to be sent and Lenne was the one to do it.

"Lenne! Send him!" I yelled, turning my head to her.

She snapped out of her prison of fear and nodded, beginning the sending. The beginning of it looked like a summoning, with her spinning around, but then she did this kicking thing and it looked really bizarre. I wondered how that could possible inspire a dead guy to be a good dead guy and head off to the Farplane. If anything, that dumb dance would make me want to stay and put the poor summoner out of her misery. In any case, it was working. I saw pyreflies flying out of the ghost as he smiled at my Lenne. I wondered what he was thinking as he began to disappear. I guessed that one day I'd have to find out for myself. The unsent vanished completely and I looked over at the angel who had given him peace. She looked a little fatigued, no doubt from the stress of all the day's activities.

"Lenne, are you alright?" I asked with concern.

"I'm fine. It just takes a lot out of you to be a summoner." She said, smiling warmly.

"Hehe, guess you're pretty exhausted by now. I mean taking out fiends, walking around, and then having to send someone isn't exactly relaxing. C'mon, let's get you home." I said.

"But what about that blitzball thing? Weren't you going to teach me?" She asked, still thinking about me instead of herself.

"Don't worry about it. We can always do that tomorrow." I replied, giving her a smile.

"Okay… Thank you, Shuyin." She said, wiping some sweat off her forehead with the back of her arm.

We slowly walked out of the cave and headed for Zanarkand. As we strolled, we went past the city of Bevelle and I saw him again, the man who'd murdered my love in a dream. It was Areth and he noticed my presence, as well. That dream still flashed in my mind. He killed her and then me, all the while glaring at me and sporting that vile smirk. I didn't know if I could ever look at him without thinking about that again. He waved at us and, doing the right thing, I waved back. He wasn't a real criminal. It would be indecent of me to hold my thoughts against him. Lenne stared a little. I guess she had forgotten who he was.

"It's Areth… from the Jowiles." I reminded her.

"Oh!" She said, a little loudly. With a blush, she waved at him also.

Then, I noticed something. Right as we finished greeting him, another of Bevelle's approached him and glared at us rudely. Areth covered his mouth and spoke to the other player, looking at the two of us every now and then while talking. The other member of Bevelle gave us a smug grin, patted Areth's shoulder, and jogged off. I saw the look again. Areth made a hideous smile and turned away from us, walking back into Bevelle's Grand Centre.

"I don't like him." Lenne whispered, "Something about him just doesn't sit well with me."

"Tell me about it. I wonder what's going on. I don't like that look he gave us. What could it mean? I saw that look back with the championship game. After we won, he and his team looked at me funny. I don't like this." I said, an evidently frustrated look plastered to my face.

I didn't want to believe anything was meant by it, but Areth even spooked Lenne with that look. That's when I noticed something else. All of the people standing around us were whispering and being very strange, too. It was as if there was some kind of secret around and the two of us were the last to know. I wondered what it could have been. I didn't like it, not a single bit. Something wasn't right and it made me uneasy.

"Let's get home." I said to Lenne, not removing my eyes from the people for a second.

"Yes, let's get away from here." She responded, clinging to me a little tighter, obviously scared and confused, as well.

We passed Bevelle's entrance gates and made our way back home. With Lenne still recovering from the day, we tended to dodge fiend nesting grounds when we could. Otherwise, I would make short work of any strays so the two of us could keep moving. Within an hour or so, we were at the ancient city gates of Zanarkand. Our fellow people looked completely normal, going about their usual business as always. No one seemed suspicious like they had back in Bevelle, which calmed my nerves, but the guards at the front gates seemed flustered about something or another, pacing about anxiously and acting abnormally tense. Obvious to anyone, that wasn't good. They were worried about something. Even though it was against my thinking, I chose to let it go. Whatever it was wasn't my concern. It was the concern of Zanarkand's leader, Yu Yevon. Judging by looks, I thought that he was more than capable of handling whatever was wrong with Bevelle.

Walking along, Lenne leaning against my right arm, we passed a billboard on the side of a building. My father was on that billboard, sporting a softdrink his image was advertising.

"Isn't that…" Lenne started to say.

"Yes… That's Jecht, my father." I replied, glaring at the advertisement with disgust.

Wasn't it about time people stopped thinking about that guy? I mean it had been nearly a decade and people still couldn't let go. What's wrong with them? The man's dead. Live with it. Besides, it wasn't like my father was a stand-up guy or anything. Suddenly, I got a small mischievous thought and stuck my middle finger at it.

"Shuyin!" Lenne scolded lightly, slapping my arm. I grinned at her and she rolled her eyes playfully, once again leaning on my arm. We continued on, Lenne dragging my heavier carcass back to her house.

"C'mon, Shuyin. Stop messing around." She said, frowning cutely.

"But mommy, I don't wanna go to bed yet." I whined, pretending to be a spoiled kid. I note that my mischief was not out of my system yet.

"Oh, cut that out. I am still tired, you know! My whole body is all sore." She pouted.

"Okay, I'll be good." I said, hanging my head low as if sorry for being such a spoiled brat. That forced a desperately held back giggle out of her as we drew nearer to our destination. We entered her house and she plopped me down on her couch.

"If this is how you treat all your guests, I think I'm gonna want a refund!" I joked, grinning like an idiot.

"Cut that out! Shuyin!" She whined, swiping her hand across my chest a few times lightly.

She walked over to the kitchen and asked if I wanted to eat anything. I didn't really feel hungry, but thinking that she might be and thinking that she wouldn't eat unless I did, I said yes.

After a busy hour, she rushed back over with some chow… well, I guess you can't really call what she brought simple chow. "Wow, did you cook all this?" I asked, staring in awe at the banquet that was before me.

She made Kilika Miso Soup, Deep Roasted Duck, and finally a couple of green, marble-stain tea eggs. "You know me. Cooking is one of my kinky little hobbies." She sweetly replied.

"You have excellent taste in hobbies." I stated with glee, still staring hungrily at the food.

Lenne did tell me that she fancied catering and cuisine, a trait that came to her personality from her mother. However, to see all those platters, it almost made me forget she was a songstress by profession. She calmly took one of her cherub-decorated, porcelain bowls and filled it with soup. I turned to her and nearly made her drop it when I pushed my lips onto hers.

"A 'thank you' would have sufficed." She jested, pushing me back a little with her free hand.

"Thank you!" I squealed, blindly grabbing at the duck.

I found a knife and began chopping it up, cutting neat slices despite my haste. Thank you, Takuma, you awesome maniac you. I grabbed one of those Moo Shoo wraps and packed it full of meat, added some sauce, put some leak in it, and sealed it up before taking a big bite.

"Mmmmhu hmmmm…" I mumbled, my face full of food.

Lenne couldn't help but stifle her urge to burst into uncontrollable laughter with a forced giggle. I must have looked like I hadn't eaten in years. I had never tried her cooking for myself until then. For almost a half a year, the two of us had either gone out to eat or totally forgotten to… due to certain… um, distractions. (Yes, you heard me! Distractions! Take it or leave it!)

After I was done, the duck was a shadow of its former self, literally. All that was left was the skeleton, and not in good shape either, because I made sure to get as much meat out of it as possible. It was just too good not to inhale every savory bite. I'm embarrassed to say it, but I barely even gave Lenne the chance to get her share. The soup had vanished, but not by evaporation. Those eggs were somewhere in my digestive tract.

"I had no idea you could eat so much!" Lenne gasped, completely bewildered by the aftermath of the meal.

"Yup, I must have a black hole in here." I joked, pointing at my stomach.

"I guess so." She returned, touching my gut with a tender pat.

My hormones got a nice surge at that point. Lenne must have been getting a serious dose of male pheromones, too, because she threw herself on top of me. Our lips joined as we thinned out the air between our bodies. My tongue demanded entry and she willingly obliged, the inner workings of her mouth a brand new frontier for it to explore. I felt her own tongue rubbing against mine, lightly pleading to be granted the same access. When I felt her enter my mouth, as well, all of my senses melted away into nothingness. My whole world became her and everything else in that world no longer held any meaning. We moved to the rhythm of the music that played in our minds and our hearts. Everything felt so perfect and…

That's when I belched… Lenne fell to the ground and laughed hysterically. I felt my face become bright red at my embarrassment.

"Excuse… me…" I stammered, blushing more and more with each hysteric tear that fell from my love's eyes.

"I'm… so… rry…" Lenne tried to say, laughing with each syllable, "I… just… can't… help… it…" I wasn't sure how I did it, but after that, I blushed even more.

After a few moments, she calmed down, the existence of the humiliating moment remaining through the still apparent grin on her flushed red face. "You know, I think I'm actually a little glad that you belched." Lenne admitted.

"Why?" I asked obliviously.

"Well, I'm a little scared. I'm still a virgin." She said with a blush.

"Tell me about it. You'd think I'd have done it a million times, as a result of my career, but I'm just as clueless as you." I sighed, thinking about what we were about to do.

"You're a virgin? Mister star blitzer for the Zanarkand Abes?" She jeered, not believing me.

I never talked to her about this yet, I realized. I told her about my past, but dating wasn't really a life-altering factor in that past. I never emphasized the choices I had made in life. "I flirt a lot, but that doesn't mean I take these girls home with me." I explained, "Besides, that would mean I'd have to tell them who I really am and that would give them something to blackmail me with, in case there was a rough break-up."

"But you trusted me with your secret…"

To thisＩsmiled, "Yes, I did."

Lenne blushed again, "I believe I should feel flattered, kind sir."

"Think nothing of it, m'lady. I trust you and you've held my confidence for many months already."

"So you're as much a virgin as I am." She wowed again, returning to the original topic at hand. I could tell she didn't fully believe the words that just came out of her mouth.

"Yea, actually, the flirting is a defense mechanism against that. See, if I flirt with one girl, the rest will think I will eventually do something with her. That way, no one realizes that I'm really all talk. I purposely show people what I think they would expect to see. In a way, I've made Tidus into a real person." I explained, figuring out for myself that I had indeed created two versions of one person, complete with two separate names.

Tidus would be what anyone I didn't want to get too close to saw. Lenne and others like her would actually know the REAL me. It was rather amusing to me at the time. To think that I would have an alias.

"So, you want people to think you like to sleep around?" Lenne interjected my thoughts.

"Well, I figure it's what they want to see so that's what they get. I don't care about their personal feeling about me." I replied bluntly.

"I think that's a little lonely." She said, concern flowing in her voice.

"Don't worry about me. I've got enough to keep me optimistic about my future." I said, looking into her eyes. I couldn't help it. Those eyes just hypnotized me. If I looked into them, it would take a great effort to make me look away.

"At least you've told the Abes who you are, right? Or if you haven't, I'm sure your father did." She thought aloud, getting a weak smile on her face at the positive outlook.

"Actually, I never told all of them that I was really Shuyin. I made them think I was Tidus, as well, because I didn't know if I could trust them not to blow my cover with the rest of Zanarkand. Who knows? They might have just made a promotional event and called out Shuyin instead of Tidus to wow the crowd. I'd be revealed and I didn't want that." I explained, "Plus, my dad was so conceited, all he ever talked about was himself. Until the day he 'retired', no one even knew he had a family."

I began to laugh. How pathetic of my father to have played the playboy role until he was ready for the glue factory.

"I feel a little sorry for you." Lenne somberly stated, a tear streaming down her face. I put my finger up to her face to wipe the unnecessary tear away.

"It's alright. Look, I chose this life. I made that decision a long time ago. I'm fine with that decision. It means that out of everyone who knows me, you are the only one who 'knows' me." I stated, giving a reassuring smile.

Lenne smiled back even more weakly and decided to drop the subject. "Hey, cheer up. Remember, it's my life. I'm sorry if you don't like what I've done to myself, but I made the choice and I'm the only one who should think on the consequences." I tried to comfort.

"Well, now that we thought about 'doing something,' perhaps we should?" She asked to lighten the melancholy, not demonstrating much determination in her words as she took us back to the original topic again.

I thought about it. Did I really want to have this happen at that point? I mean I love her, but did I want to proclaim my love like that? I wasn't sure if it was the right option to be taking. As a moreover traditional guy, I held the 'make love only after marriage' principle in my morals. However, it was still the modern day and age so…

"Are you sure you want this?" I asked, giving the choice to my songstress. Lenne thought for a moment.

She took a deep breath and smiled, saying, "Yes. I'm sure."

It was settled. No reason to think about it anymore. We were in love. What was the harm? "I guess…" I started to say.

Lenne quieted me by putting her finger over my lips. Then, she proceeded to kiss me. I offered my love with a kiss in return, pulling her into a tight embrace as our emotions soared. Time, life, everything stopped. It seemed that the heavens were smiling upon our union and even eternity was powerless against us. However, there was only one break, which we used to get onto her couch, that being the closest place to lie down on and we couldn't be bothered to find a more appropriate location. The cold leather rubbed across my skin, as my shirt was strewn aside. I moved to her movements, the heat of our bodies rising into fever levels. I never truly kissed anyone before let alone for that long. I wasn't even thinking anymore. The feelings I got from being with her took on a life of its own. I allowed my heart to dictate my moves. Our love chose the course of actions and we were just enjoying the ride. Our hands ventured, the ecstasy unimaginable. The melody resumed its mesmerizing verse. My body and hers were swept up by each note, drifting in a sea of passion. My arms grasped her waist and lower back as she played with my hair. I was beyond the stars. Life was bliss. I couldn't ask for any more.

After some time, I began to notice that I still felt a little tired and remembered how we had spent the day. Traveling across Spira wasn't exactly an effortless little walk to the mall. We had been walking for miles the entire day. I was exhausted. Lenne wore out even faster than I did. Halfway through one of our kisses, she moaned wearily and faded into a quiet slumber. I didn't last long after her. I was even too sleepy to get her to her bed, my own consciousness waning before I, too, drifted into sweet dreams, a pleasant sleep with the memories of the night. I love you, Lenne…


	10. Chapter 9

_Chapter 9: Lenne, the blitzer?_

When I woke up the next day, Lenne was still collapsed over me, her lips next to my shoulder from a broken kiss that seemed to have ended but only a minute ago. Her hands were lightly placed on my chest, her small frame sleeping peacefully atop me. Last night, though we didn't manage to stay awake long enough to do anything other than kissing, was the best night in all of my life. My beautiful songstress. My wonderful summoner. How much I love you. I stroked her hair gently, each strand of that velvet, that silk, sliding smoothly along my fingers. It was so soft. She was so soft. She was my delicate and fragile angel and that meant that I could do nothing aside from protecting her.

"Mmm…" She moaned, still fast asleep.

"Shh…" I cooed gently, carefully pulling her closer. Should my actions have been too brusque, I would wake her. However, I was in luck as she barely made a stir, subconsciously cuddling against my chest tighter.

"I love you." I quietly whispered, still unable to tell her while she was conscious. She smiled a bit and I wondered if she'd heard me. Impossible… but that thought gave me some comfort.

"Uh…" Lenne arose, "Hi there."

She was groggy as she woke up, lazily rubbing the sleepy haze from her eyes. It was an hour later and I had been awake the entire time, admiring the resting form of my love while I continued to surmise the course of our future.

"Good morning." I said softly.

She pushed herself off me and took in a deep breath to greet the morning. Stretching out her arms, she proceeded to pull me onto my feet. I helped her out and did a sit-up as she pulled. Rising to my feet, I yawned a little, also stretching to loosen my muscles from the stupor sleep had induced in them. Lenne straightened up my collar and I cupped her face with both my hands. She looked incredibly beautiful even without having the chance to freshen up. No one had such natural grace.

"Hey! I almost forgot!" I exclaimed suddenly, perking up. "You were gonna try blitzball yesterday, remember?" I asked, peering into her eyes with a fiendish smirk.

She groaned, "I thought you would have forgotten."

It was evident she really didn't think she could play, which was to be expected, but she didn't give up on me when I doubted myself in singing and performing music of any form.

"I'm sorry, m'lady, I tend not to forget things like that." I curtly replied.

She groaned again. I couldn't let her give into her fears and doubts. I would never forgive myself if I didn't put in the same effort for Lenne that she game me.

"C'mon, don't chicken out." I pushed, taking her to her room so she could change into some blitzball-worthy clothes.

What that meant was that she needed to put away her pretty songstress dresses and break out the sweats… Hehe, girl sweats were designed to express their feminine assets, too. That put a nice big grin on my sly face. I shoved her into her room playfully and shut the door.

"Hurry up…" I chimed, skipping back down the stairs.

"I'll make a blitz star out of you yet, my love." I thought to myself.

A few minutes later, Lenne came down in a nice blue and turquoise sweatshirt and pants set. She had a white T underneath and the entire outfit looked simply great on her.

"Let's go!" She exclaimed with forced confidence before gulping. I couldn't help but grin at her. She was just so cute when she was nervous.

Obviously, seeing how it was a bright and sunny day, we had to take the scenic route to the stadium. With the off-season in full bloom, the place was as empty as Bikanel Isle during the annual Cactuar migration period. I didn't see Kion or Vena or even Rothel. Not even the rookie, whose name I found to be Haru, was present. This was perfect. Then again, it must have been due to the time of day, also. Even in the off-season, the guys liked to come once in a while to train and relax in the Sphere Pool. It was still pretty early when we went. I took Lenne to the locker room and brought her to Vena and Kirin's side. I grabbed some of their spare blitz gear and fitted Lenne. She was a little smaller than Vena and a bit too tall for Kirin's gear, but the stuff they used as a spare fit well enough. After Lenne was finished putting on the equipment, the two of us walked over to my locker and I got out the only part of my blitz outfit that I didn't always have on me: the ball. I tossed the blitz ball to her and she awkwardly caught it, literally giving it a bear hug as if she was afraid of dropping it. I smirked at the thought and locked up the locker, spinning the combination like Rothel had shown me years back. We headed back out, this time to the arena. I told Lenne to take a seat on the ring while I went to get the Sphere Pool running.

I jogged up to the control room and pushed a few buttons, entered the code, and watched the arena light up as the electrically-induced water began to form into an orb shape, expanding at an explosive rate. It was Spira's fastest activating Sphere Pool, utilizing electro-stimulation to ionize the air particles into forming water. Lenne just stared at the scene in front of her, completely petrified as I watched on from the control room. Her shriveling form made her appear ever more innocent and lovely to my eyes. I couldn't stop thinking how Kirin had reacted in just the same manner when we were still rookies. It was nice to have that memory refreshed by my love. Anyway, I got back down there and hopped onto the ring with Lenne.

"Ready?" I asked, eager to get on with the fun.

"Um, is it too late to be a scaredy cat?" She pleaded, fright in the idea of having to blitz speaking those words for her.

"Yes, definitely too late. Much too late." I grinned, pulling Lenne into the water with me despite her squeal.

Lenne floated around, taking in all aspects of the Sphere Pool. "You can swim, right?" I laughed, moving around the cool waters swiftly.

"Shuyin!" She frowned, trying to catch up to me.

With a small smirk, I abruptly stopped and allowed Lenne to crash into me as I turned, outstretching my arms. I hugged her as soon as she collided, giving her a quick kiss and saying, "Ya know, that's a pretty good tackle you got there."

"Shuyin!" She pouted, slapping my chest playfully.

I swam back over to where we impacted and retrieved the ball that she dropped when she "tackled" me.

"Okay, first thing's first. To score, you need to get this ball into one of those two triangular goal fields. You can throw, kick, punch, butt, or just about anything you can come up with to get it in." I said, sounding like the coach I had respect for.

While I recited his opening words that day, memories flooded in, memories of the day he retired. I shuddered at the remembrance of whom he'd replaced himself with. "My son will be a fine coach. Listen to him carefully. You just might learn something." I recalled him saying before leaving us with that idiot.

"Okay." Lenne said shakily, refocusing my attention.

"Right, show me what you got." I answered, giving her the ball.

She took it, swam back a little and tried to hurl the thing into the goal, wildly flailing her arms to propel the blitz ball. This proved to be a very unsuccessful tactic as I saw the ball glide slowly back to me.

"Take note: throwing the ball like that is not a wise maneuver." I stated, trying my best not to laugh while sounding like a textbook.

"Shuyin!"

I grabbed the floating ball and passed it back to her with a quick bunt. She caught it, thought for a moment on a new plan of attack, and then tried to punch it into the goal. She held out the blitz ball and socked it good. However, as I saw the shot stream into the goal, I noticed that Lenne was holding her wrist. She hurt her hand with that stunt.

"Okay, perhaps you should try kicking." I said, swimming to her to examine her fragile wrist, "Oh, you're fine. Just lay off it for a while and it should be better by tomorrow at the latest."

She hadn't injured it, only jammed it a little with that punch. I swam back to retrieve the ball and passed it to her again. "Be a little more careful and know your own limits." I instructed, a part of me worried that she might hurt herself in her next attempt. I didn't really want her to injure herself over something like this.

She looked at the ball and thought about what was the best move she could use on it, seeing how plans A and B both backfired. This time, she chose to get a bit fancy, attempting to use my opening move back in the championship game. She put the ball off to the side, moved to her side and spun, kicking the ball on her return. I was a bit skeptical. She was trying too hard for a first time. Boy was I in for a shocker. That ball rocketed right past my stunned face and into the goal.

"Hooray!" She yelled, celebrating in the water.

"Wow!" I muttered, clapping slowly from my surprise at her success.

We played around some more, Lenne improving little by little with each passing hour. In fact, she even blocked three of my shots and I wasn't even going easy on her. She wasn't nearly a full-fledged blitzer at all, and yet, for a first timer, she was impressive. Of course, after about five or six hours of practice and playing, I guess that was to be expected. It took me about the same time to learn the organ.

"I think you might be ready for…" I began.

"What? What do you think I'm ready for?" She asked nervously. What was wrong? She should have built up enough confidence after all that, right?

"…The Jecht Shot…" I finished, frowning at my failure. Her eyes shot open in horror.

"What!" She sputtered.

"You heard me. Here let me show you." I returned with optimism, grabbing the ball in Lenne's hands.

I moved a good distance away, head-butted the ball out of the water while I followed it, and started a back flip. On my way back down, I kicked the ball hard and it flew into the goal. Once landing, I turned, swam to the ball that had just bounced a few feet from the goal, grabbed it, and swam back to my girlfriend and blitzer in-training.

"Your turn." I said, handing over the ball.

"Okay…" She softly breathed, closing her eyes as if to give herself a quick boost of confidence.

"You'll do fine." I assured, smiling at her and putting my hands on her shoulders for more of a push.

I watched on as Lenne put the ball on top of her head like she had seen me do millions of times. She closed her eyes and didn't move a moment, gathering up some more inner strength. "You can do it!" I yelled.

"Uh!" She shouted, launching herself out of the Sphere Pool.

She had strong legs. That was a must for the Jecht Shot. The ball and her elegant form soared above the Sphere Pool as I continued to watch, hoping to myself that, even if she didn't succeed, she wouldn't get hurt. She performed a back flip and I froze with anxiousness. Then… she hit the ball dead center! Yes! She did it! I watched the ball fly to the goal and hit it right on the money. Lenne landed back in the Sphere Pool and swam to me.

"I did it!" She squealed, overjoyed.

"Yea, I know! I knew you could!" I said, looking at her happily.

She had performed the Jecht Shot perfectly on her very first try. Not even I managed that. She was certainly something special. Of course, the ball didn't have the same speed as when I performed it, but who cares. This was her first time and she pulled it off without a hitch. That had to be Spira's world record for best debut ever.

"Do you mind if I try that again?" She asked. There's that confidence. I knew she'd get it sooner or later.

"Go right ahead. I'm still gettin' over the first time you did it." I said, swimming to the goal to retrieve the ball for her.

I passed it to her and she went to perform it again. WHAM! The ball smacked into the goal yet again. She had performed the Jecht Shot twice, successfully, in her first time at blitzball.

After a few more minutes, we exited the Sphere Pool. "I have to tell you something. When I was a little girl up until I finished high school, I was a gymnast." She admitted, "I think that's why I was able to do your move on my first try." I smiled.

"Who cares as long as you did do it on your first try? That's good enough for me, Lenne." I returned, gazing back into the water, memories of my own blitzball debut flashing in my mind.

"_My name is Tidus. I think you know my dad, Jecht." I had told them, not sure if the career was for me. _

"_Jecht's boy, eh? Can't tell ya how many times I heard that one, but we'll see what ya got, kid." The good ol' coach had returned. _

"_Frankly, I don't care if you want to consider me his son or not. Being a bastard's far better anyway." My fiery temper replied. _

"_Hah! You must be Jecht's boy. Only one of his own would talk so tactlessly. You know, I didn't know the guy was married, let alone having children! Haha! C'mon, kid, let's hit the pool" _

_My first time in a Sphere Pool was pretty amusing. From the early goings, my speed was unmatched. I could even swim around the actual Abes with ease, years of living in my father's shadow while he was alive forcing a stubborn resolve in me to be a better athlete than he ever could. Towards the end of the try-outs, I got an idea to leave them with something to really remember me by and performed the old man's very first ultimate shot, the patented Jecht Shot, on them. The ball slammed into the goal, the faces on all my opposition pricelessly frozen in a gape as I made my way out of the pool and into the lockers. Practicing the shot, along with dad's two other maneuvers, was paying dividends, though I still needed to work on my form for the later two. _

_The coach eventually found me headed for home and asked me to join up, "The Abes could really use your talents. Your friend, Tairu's daughter, Kirin said that you were looking to make a name for yourself. She's pretty good herself. Why don't you two think about it? Our first game's one day from tomorrow. Hehe, it must be Jecht's blood in you that makes you so good. Well, it's either from that or…" _

"… maybe you're just a very good teacher." Lenne added then, bringing me back to the present. I gave her a slight smile, my thoughts lingering in the past. Missin' ya always, coach…

The two of us made our way back to the locker room after I had shut the pool down and put it back into storage. I put the blitz ball away and locked up my locker again. Then, we went to return her gear back to the girls' locker room. I heard the shower running, which meant that either Vena or Kirin was there.

"Hey, I never introduced you to my friends. I'll do that now. I'm sure at least one of the girls is around. Maybe even both." I suggested.

Lenne nodded and smiled, putting her gear on the rack that I had found it from.

Suddenly, while I approached the shower to alert whoever was in there to our presence, a singing Kirin, stark naked, walked right out from the curtains. Opening her eyes, she screamed in synch with the two of us. I covered and averted my eyes. Lenne definitely blushed, at least, that was what I would expect.

"SHUYIN!" She shrieked.

"I'm s-sorry!" I stammered, blushing even more than I would assume Lenne did. "There was a toweling area next to the shower for a reason, Kirin!" I screamed in my mind.

"Shuyin? Aren't you gonna introduce me?" Lenne asked, her embarrassment showing through her voice.

"Oh, right! Lenne, this is Kirin. I'll just step outside so you two can talk." I said, pointing blindly at where I thought they were as my eyes still covered. I quickly ran out of there and let Lenne talk to her, running into a few equipment racks, a wall, and knocking over a garbage can.

About twenty to thirty minutes later, they both came out, Lenne wearing some new threads, Kirin's clothes. Kirin, in the meantime, was sporting Lenne's sweats, the threads looking a size too large on the small girl.

"Sorry!" I said, blushing profusely.

"It's okay." Kirin replied.

"Kirin told me that she knew about your real name, too." Lenne said, sounding like she wanted an explanation.

"Well, you see, Kirin has been a friend of mine since before my parents' deaths. We've been through everything together." I informed her, trying to get at the fact that Kirin was actually more than just a friend to me.

"Oh, she's your best friend?" Lenne asked, trying to piece things together.

"Well, Rothel is my best friend." I responded, "Kirin is more like…"

"I'm like a sister to him." She interjected.

"Oh, that's nice." Lenne said, smiling at me, "And here I thought you were completely alone. I'm glad you had her with you. It gives me some peace of mind."

"Yea, I guess you're right." I said, putting a hand through my hair.

"Hey! If you guys aren't doing anything later, wanna come to my place?" Kirin asked. "We can get better acquainted!"

I looked at Lenne. "That would be great! Would you mind if Shuyin invites the others? I'd want to meet all his friends." Lenne replied.

"Well, like Shuyin, I don't really trust the other guys to that extent. Maybe Rothel because we've known him for a while, but even with him… Sorry… I hope you understand." Kirin answered.

Lenne gently put a hand on my "sister's" shoulder, "That's perfectly fine. I guess this one's part of the reason?"

"Haha, well I have to say, we are pretty big parts of each other's past." She agreed.

"Okay, well it's settled. Me and Lenne will meet you at your house at let's say five o'clock?" I suggested.

"That's perfect." Kirin said, "Anyway, time for me to go train. Bye-bye, guys!"

"Then, we'll see you later." Lenne stated with a smile.

We waved bye to Kirin as she went back into the stadium arena to train. I noticed that she ripped off the clothes she had on. It was just like she'd done before, many instances in the past when I just caught her after she thought she was alone. I wondered why she didn't like clothing. She'd been doing that since forever. I guessed it was just a quirk. In any case, I had to think up something for me and Lenne to do until five.

"So what do you want to do?" I asked her.

"I don't know. I like Kirin, though. She's very nice." She said.

I gave a small nod, "Yea, Kirin's one of the best."

"Oh, I asked her why she came singing and dancing out of the shower without putting on at least towel. She told me she liked being in the nude. It made her feel free. I wonder…" Lenne added, wanting to talk about my friend some more.

"Oh, so that's why? So I was right. It's a quirk. Funny how I never figured that out." I said.

"Yea, didn't she ever tell you about that? She's a nudist." She seemed surprised.

"You have to remember that I have never seen her nor any other girl like that before." I told her.

"You mean that was the first time you saw a naked woman? I thought you were just a virgin. Doesn't Rothel or the Abes look at 'those' things." She hit that right on the money, too.

"Yea, they do. I avert my eyes." I explained with a laugh.

"Aw, poor baby." She laughed back.

"So, I assume you've seen your fair share?" I asked.

"Me? Never! Although, I would assume that if there was a picture, my eyes wouldn't be fast enough to look away. Kirin's also a very cute girl, isn't that right, Shuyin?" She returned, giving me a sideway glance.

"Not funny! That really freaked me out. I didn't expect her to just prance out like that. Vena never would." I said, hanging my head and playing with my fingers. Lenne giggled.

"You know her this well yet she never told you that little personality quirk of hers."

I simply shook my head. The memories when I saw Kirin tugging uncomfortably at her blouses or skirts popped into my head. "Actually, you're right. I did notice she always felt discomfort in her clothes. Stupid me, I never thought about it." I replied.

"Oh, that's not surprising. You didn't actually see her naked so it wasn't like you would've known." She said.

"Guess I never even considered nudism. Although, I don't get it either… Probably had something to do with it."

We walked along the road a little longer, the amount of people at a minimum, much to my relief. "Hey! Look over there! Wild chocobos!" I said, running at the massive birds.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Lenne yelled, running after me.

I chased one of those yellow birds down and hopped onto it, seriously scaring the poor bird to death. It ran wildly, thrashing about while I struggled to stay on. Lenne calmly approached one and it actually mounted her onto itself. That was a skill I'd have liked to have at that moment. The thing I was on went crazy. Finally, I had no choice but to jump off of it, for fear of giving the poor creature a heart attack. It ran away from me, crying the whole time. I felt a little bad for what I did to the poor thing. Meanwhile, Lenne was calmly riding her chocobo around the entire field.

"Hey!" I screamed, "Can I get a lift here?"

"What's the magic word?" She giggled.

"Not funny!" I shouted as she picked up some speed. "Hey!" I cried.

"Haha!" Lenne smirked, enjoying having me run after her.

At last she stopped, but far too suddenly and I couldn't in time. I smacked right into the bird's big butt and it sped off again. "Argh…" I grunted, giving up and lying on the grass in defeat.

"Hehe…" I heard Lenne laugh as she jogged back, letting her Chocobo roam free again.

"Grr…" I playfully growled, narrowing my eyes at her. Lenne just laughed, coming over to pull me back to my feet.

We continued onward. The city's shops and malls were fast approaching and Lenne seemed to become distracted. Something had caught her eye.

"I'll see you in a little bit, okay?" She said, her voice drifting off as she waved at me.

"Okay, but why? Where are you going?" I responded with confusion.

"It's a secret." Lenne said with a cute tone and a tap to my nose, "Just meet me here in an hour or two."

With that, she skipped off, leaving me in the dark. I shrugged and roamed around. From years with Kirin, I knew to leave well enough alone with girls. Therefore, I went and found an arcade and couldn't resist taking a peek… an hour-long peek.

"Yes! They have Soul Rippers 2! I'm so gonna kick some ass!" I shouted, hurrying to get some tokens.

People stared at me, but not for my outburst. They were just staring because I was, after all, Tidus, the greatest blitzer on all of Spira since his old man. I was used to it by then, though it still peeved me somewhat to watch them drool over me as they did. Unfortunately, it was unavoidable. I put in my tokens and started up a game, picking my favorite character, Mirth. That character was strong and fast, a perfect combination of stats coupled with an amazing list of moves that complimented those traits perfectly. I fought against a few opponents, randomly chosen by the computer to fit his personal "story" and got to the final boss in no time.

"You are going down, Belthazor!" I exclaimed, pointing at the screen like the pixels could hear me.

The fight started and I dodged most of the guy's attacks, being the cool and calculating fighting gamer that I was.

"Eat steel!" I yelled at the bits of computer data that formed my opponent, my enthusiasm for the games matched only by my will to win in blitzball.

In no time at all, I had beaten the game. I didn't even need a continue. I quickly input the letters 'T' 'D' 'S' for the record name. It was in the top slot. "Yes! The best record!" I grinned, pleased with my score.

I turned and everybody there wanted an autograph, seeing how they had managed to corner me. "Okay, okay! Take it easy! I've only got two hands!" I said, signing one blitz ball after another.

I was done about five minutes later, thank goodness. I actually loathed having to give so many signatures. It was tiresome.

Moments later, this girl walked up to me with a sly expression planted on her face and said, "I challenge you to a game of DRR. If I win, you take me out. If you win, I'll give you a kiss."

DRR, or Dance Revolution Remix, was this line of dancing games that I had never dared try… that is until that day. After all the time I spent with Lenne, songstress extraordinaire, I had no doubt in my mind I'd win. Lenne, herself, would be disgusted if I did have an unsure idea in my mind.

"Sure! You're on!" I answered, not a trace of nervousness in my voice.

We got onto the dance pads, one for each of us. We put in our tokens and chose a song. I picked this really nice one from this old movie that I liked. We started, the game's scanners activating its motion sensors and mapping both of our body structures. At first, it looked like she was gonna win. I had a rough start what with my memory of that song being a bit fogged over through the years. However, towards the end of it, I was dancing circles around her. I just let the music flow through me, like Lenne had said. Afterwards, the girl shook my hand.

"I didn't know you could dance like that!" She wowed, stunned a little at a skill she was sure I didn't possess, "Well, a deal's a deal."

And with that she gave me a big kiss on the lips that I wasn't prepared for and nearly choked from shock. She didn't seem to mind it, though, so I let her finish, thank me, hug me, and walk away with her friends, giggling like a bunch of imbeciles. I rolled my eyes a little. Fans were always like this.

"I'm sure glad Lenne isn't like that." I whispered to myself.

An hour was up and I had already played through several fighting games like Tenkai, Dream vs. Square, and one platform game, Zero. Tenkai and Dream vs. Square were nothing compared to the Soul Rippers series, though. That was a real fighting game. However, when it comes to true games, Square comes up with the best of the best. They mostly made role-playing games or RPGs as the veterans of the genre call it. Those games were really fun to play through, but you could only play them at home given the length of time required. I had a GameSphere, or otherwise known as, the GSE. Square chiefly made games for that system, a business arrangement for which I was eternally grateful. Anyway, although that is my favorite company, Soul Rippers was my favorite fighting game and, just the same, Zero was my favorite platform, action/adventure game.

"Hey, Shu… uh, Tidus…" Lenne waved, coming back to me when I reached the meeting location.

Her hands were positioned behind her back, holding some kind of bag. She'd bought something and by the way she was nudging the ground with the tip of her boot, that something was for me.

"What's in the bag?" I asked, trying to peek while she dodged my glances by swaying into my view.

"C'mon! Let's go!" She replied, avoiding my question and turning to head for Kirin's house.

We walked side by side all the way to my closest friend's house and, all the while, Lenne hid the item from me. I kept trying to get her to tell me what was in the bag, but she kept it away, skipping ahead of me every now and then. We reached the door to Kirin's house and Lenne looked around.

"Okay, here." She said, handing over the bag.

"Why now? Why couldn't I see before?" I asked.

"Oh, silly. Too many people were around. They might have noticed us and the interviews would have been endless." She responded, alerting me to that reality.

"That's right. You're so clever… And man, I'm a goof." I said, smiling.

She stifled a giggle, signaling for me to open the bag. I did as instructed and found a small box covered with velvet: a jewelry box. "I think you'll like it." She said.

I opened the box and there was a chain inside. There was a pendant placed as a centerpiece shaped in the likeness of my Zanarkand Abes insignia. On the back of the pendant, it was engraved with the words:

_In eternal bonds I'll cradle you; never let you go. In times of joy, in times of pain, our light will guide our way. Always together, now and forever. _

_To Shuyin, with all my heart and soul,_

_Lenne_

I read the inscription aloud. "Lenne…" I uttered, my blue eyes welling up with emotion, "I love it, and it's true. I'll never leave you no matter what."

"I knew you'd like it. I remembered reading a poem that sounded similar and the words just came to me. Oh, and look. It's your team's symbol, too!" She said happily.

I kissed her warmly, the two of us embracing one another openly, for the moment, not worrying who saw. After a while, we broke the kiss and she knocked on the door.

A few moment's later, Kirin opened it, wearing only a robe. "Come in! I'll be right back." She said cheerfully, hurriedly running upstairs.

Lenne giggled a little and walked in, pulling me in with her. We went to her living room and I sat down on a recliner, beginning to fiddle around with the controls. Lenne decided to stand for a while, browsing around the place and checking out all the pictures Kirin had in the room.

"Who's this? I see him in a lot of the pictures." She asked, pointing at a person in a photo that was perched on top of Kirin's SV. I walked over to take a look.

"Oh that? That's Jurama. He's Kirin's current love interest, but they've been at it awhile so it's most likely serious." I said.

"Oh? He's pretty good-looking, isn't he?" She said, admiring the picture of Kirin's boyfriend in a playful manner.

"Hmm, you think so?" I inquired, putting my hands to my hips.

She laughed slightly and we were then interrupted by footsteps drumming down from the second floor.

"She's back." I stated, flailing my arm out to greet my friend's presence.

"Hiya, guys!" Kirin called, running over to us, "Admiring my photos, I see."

"Jurama is a very handsome man." Lenne commented.

"Why thank you. I picked a good guy." She smiled.

"So, now that we're all settled, what shall we do?" I popped in.

"Let's just talk! You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend, Shuyin. I want to get to know her." Kirin answered me.

"I'd like to know more about you, too." Lenne added.

"It's a girl thing, Shuyin. You wouldn't understand." Kirin joked.

"Uh huh." I sarcastically replied, smirking at the both of them and following rolling my eyes. They giggled and ran off to Kirin's room, upstairs. "Oh, and by the way, I've got a VidStation. You can play!" Kirin called back, still running with Lenne.

Yay! I get to play more video games while my two female friends chatted about their girl stuff. Looking at the VidStation system, I frowned only because the graphics of the system were in no way as up to date as my GameSphere. I mean the FMVs were just as good, but the gameplay was not so crisp and the load times were horrible. I guess it didn't matter. I quickly grabbed the controller, threw it onto the couch, and took a look at the available games. Cool, she had Temperal Crush. It was an RPG I had wanted to play for a while, but it only came out for the VidStation so I was out of luck. I really didn't want the system. Anyway, I put in the game cube and turned on the system, taking a seat on the couch I threw the controller on before. The intro to the game was brilliant, continuing off from Temperal Elapse, a classic. I was playing as the main character, a girl named, Rippa, and I had to stop some guy from using the Chrono Track. That item was and ancient relic of the world that allowed the user to traverse the fabric of time and across all the dimensions within that period of time. My first battle began and it was already turning into a very exciting story. I played it non-stop, taking on all the bosses and monsters the game had to offer.

After I beat the game, Lenne and Kirin came back, laughing the entire time. The ending FMV was showing and I was thinking about how fast I went through the entire game. Usually RPGs were very long and I still finished it in about seven hours time. Anyway, Kirin and Lenne were back and when Kirin saw me watching the ending…

"Whoa, you finished that entire game already?" Kirin asked, utterly shocked.

"Yes, yes I did." I replied, stunned a little, as well.

"Why is that so surprising? I thought Shuyin was a gaming nut." Lenne inputted.

"It's so surprisingly amazing because RPGs take at least a good week to complete, if you're lucky. This guy just completed one in about seven hours." Kirin explained.

"Wow!" Lenne replied, baffled at her boyfriend's… um, talent?

"So what did you guys talk about anyway?" I asked, having shut off the VidStation.

"We chatted about girl stuff. We talked about you a lot, too" Kirin answered.

"I also wanted to try out her quirk so… uh… Well, it was fun." Lenne added with a blush.

"Yea, Shuyin, your girl has got some bod. You're really lucky, you playboy you." Kirin chimed, whistling at Lenne who blushed more.

"Wow…" I said, blushing as well.

"Oh gosh! Look at the time! It's almost one o'clock. You two should probably get going. I don't want to be held responsible for you collapsing in the middle of the street." Kirin said, gasping at the late hour.

"Make sure you take care of this one, Lenne. He tends to drift in his thoughts sometimes. I wouldn't be surprised if he fell off the road on his way home." Kirin warned, looking at me with a cocky grin on her face.

"Yea, sure, Kirin. As if." I said, picking my chin up to seem upset.

Lenne laughed with Kirin and said goodbye to her.

"Bye-bye!" Kirin said, shutting the door after waving.

"I really like her. She's a great person." Lenne told me on our way home.

"Yea, I know what you mean." I agreed.

Lenne made sure to hold onto my arm tightly to make sure I wouldn't stumble off the road like Kirin cautioned. I had to admit, I was completely out of it. I probably would have walked right off the road without Lenne there to hold onto me. Hehe, guess that gaming spree had gotten me pretty wasted.

We reached my house and Lenne walked me up to my bedroom. I just collapsed onto my bed, falling asleep right there. I didn't even have the energy to get Lenne to my guest bedroom.


	11. Chapter 10

_Chapter 10: Power of Aeons_

I woke up in my bed with my position changed. I remembered falling asleep flat on my face, but here I was, my eyes wearily staring at the ceiling. I guessed Lenne had moved me after I collapsed on the bed yesterday night. Yes and here she lay, huddled softly in my arms. She must have thought it to be too late to walk all the way home and chose to stay. It made me feel bad about not showing her to my guest room or taking her home. I was just far too spent. Lenne was snuggled next to my left side, her head resting on my shoulder and her hand draped across my chest. I stroked her hair gently while thinking on past events. It had been close to nine months and I still couldn't tell her my feelings, even after the gift. I knew I was truly feeling those emotions for her, but my heart wouldn't let me express them. My theory remained that I would tell her when the moment was right and it wouldn't happen a moment sooner.

A few minutes later, Lenne awoke. "Uh… Good morning, Shuyin." She said to me, rubbing her eyes of sleep as she took in a breath to sigh in the new day.

"Morning." I replied, looking at the back of her head until she turned to grace me with her smile.

Suddenly, she got up and rushed to the bathroom. I got up slowly, not knowing what the cause for her rush was, and decided to go after her. I waited outside and watched her brush her teeth, not thinking about what else I could do. I'm not the best morning person, especially if I was exhausted the night before. It must have looked like her brushing was a fireworks display and I was a five-year-old kid. Lenne nearly choked when she saw me staring at her like that.

After I had also freshened up, we started talking about what we were going to do for the day. Lenne already had plans, apparently, saying that, "I wanna see Kirin again. I told her that I'd go to Besaid with her today." Lenne informed me that Kirin wanted to show her her favorite beach.

"That's cool. I'll go hang out with Rothel, then." I responded, thinking how long it had been since I actually hung out with him. It would be good to have some time to catch up with the guy.

We kissed and exited my house. I locked the door and we were off, back to Kirin's place.

"Hi again, guys!" Kirin greeted as she opened the door, "Lenne, we set?"

"Yep, we're all ready to go to Besaid." She answered.

"Great! I can't wait for you to see it. It's got such a view of the ocean!" My blonde friend exclaimed, jumping a little before grabbing Lenne's arm and running past me.

"See ya later, Shuyin!" Kirin waved, still dragging Lenne away. I couldn't help but laugh a little. The girl was just so perky.

After seeing my two lady friends disappear from the horizon, I embarked on my journey to see Rothel. Thank goodness for that day, the citizens weren't out and about. I had no idea why not, but it was good for me. I wouldn't have to sign autographs or have pictures taken. I didn't have to sneak around and use the "underground." That can get annoying sometimes. I can't say I don't like and appreciate the tenacity of the crowd, but a little bit of peace goes a long way. I strolled carelessly, taking my sweet time to get to my friend's house, something I rarely had the opportunity to do so I milked it for all it was worth.

"Hey, man! Nice ta see ya! Where's the girl… or, ah… girls?" Rothel said with a wink, giving me a few light punches to the gut.

"Well, Lenne's off with Kirin and the summoner has her job, ya know?" I answered, still not telling him the complete truth.

"Whoa! Kirin's wit Lenne? Damn! That girl's gonna make Lenne a perky lil' songstress. That oughta put a nice smile on ya face, eh?" Rothel laughed.

"C'mon, Rothel. You know I'm not like that." I replied, trying to get him to back off on the subject.

"Eh? Right, right, right. I forgot, ya know? You ain't never had one o' them, ah nights." He chuckled, patting his trunks. He's the best. You can always count on Rothel to put a smile on your face with his wise cracks and infamous hi-jinx.

"So, how's it going with your girl?" I asked, my own fiendish grin appearing on my sly face.

"What girl? You know I don't keep 'em. I mean, yeah, a week or two, maybe, but I don't keep." He explained, casually waving me off.

"Yea, sure. One of these days you'll change your mind about that." I said, thinking back on the wonderful time he had had with a certain Kume. She had been his first ever longer than "a week or two" girlfriend. Unfortunately, even though all the guys thought this was the one for him, he wasn't and…

"Anyway, me and that girl ain't together no more. She don't like a guy that can't commit, ya know?" He sighed. I felt a little upset with him from that kind of a statement.

"Couldn't commit?" I thought, a blip of frustration giving me a twinge in the back of my mind.

He could if he really wanted to, but he's so stubborn, always pegging himself for the playboy and nothing more. "Rothel, you know as well as I do, you can't hide forever. Sooner or later a girl's gonna win your heart and you'll be head over heels ready to satisfy her." I said, thoughts of Lenne surging through my words.

"So, you in love, eh, kid? I get that. Good for you, Tidus. Ya deserve the best. Maybe this ol' lunka ain't got that luck, ya know?" He commented, patting my back.

"Rothel, I promise you: One day, be it tomorrow or years from now, some girl is going to kill the playboy in you." I told him, knocking at his chest, "Better look out, pal."

We went to Mt. Gagazet that day. He had wanted to chat with a ronso friend of his and I just wanted to hang out with my buddy so it was Gagazet or bust for us.

"Hey there, Galte!" Rothel waved over to a large, white ronso. By looks alone, the guy was a tough contender and towered over both of us easily.

"Galte happy to see Rothel." The lion-faced being replied, hugging his friend.

"Hey! I want ya to meet another pal o' mine." Rothel said, introducing me to Galte with a point, followed by a grab to my shoulder. Pulling me closer to him, he gave me a shake before shoving me forward toward the ronso.

"Galte know him. Galte see him play blitz with Rothel. He is Tidus." The ronso replied, acknowledging my status.

"Yes, I am. Hi there, Galte! It's nice to meet you." I said, holding my hand out to shake his massive paw.

Galte didn't take it. Instead, he grabbed me and pulled me into a tight hug, too. "A little friendly are we? C'mon, you're crushing me!" I coughed out, gasping a little for the breath that Galte was squeezing out of me.

It was bad enough that the air was thin up on the mountain, but to be compressed by a strong being such as he was just too much. How did Rothel deal with this?

"C'mon, you gonna kill 'im. He ain't as rough as us." Rothel said, prying Galte off me.

I spent most of the time there listening to them telling old stories about their friendship while we stayed at a local bar. "Then, he got canned, remember?" Rothel shouted about some Al Bhed they had embarrassed somewhere in Djose City a few years ago.

"Galte remember. Funny Al Bhed! Puny Al Bhed!" He yelled, laughing up a storm and banging the bar counter.

What happened was that an Al Bhed tourist had asked Rothel for directions to Djose's best nightclub, Raze. Rothel pointed him to it, but then he and Galte got the idea to tip the bouncer and have him give the guy a hard time. Unfortunately, the bouncer wasn't clear on what humour was and ended up dumping the Al Bhed fact first into a dumpster. Did these guys really think it was THAT funny? They started talking about another time, in Bevelle, when they had embarrassed its leader by throwing beer at him and causing his wig to fall off.

"That shit was hilarious! The guy fumed at us for so long an' then we had to run away from them dumb ass guards!" Rothel cackled, chugging the rest of his beer and asking the bartender for yet another.

"Galte like times with Galte's friend! Rothel make days good for Galte." The ronso laughed.

Meanwhile, I was thinking about the upcoming season of blitz. It would be my second season with Lenne at my side. With how the last season ended, Bevelle would be steamed at us for taking the glory in their own stadium. I was thrown away from those thoughts as a big Ronso paw smacked my back hard.

"Uh! Galte! Ow, that hurt!" I complained, rubbing my back as the sting started to spread.

The two of them just laughed that much harder and chugged more beer. Rothel looked at me like I had a fever or something and asked, "Hey, T? Why you ain't drinkin' wit us?"

"I'm not much of a drinker, Rothel. You know that. I'd prefer a cola." I replied with a grumble, still rubbing my back.

"Hey! Bartender! Get this kid over here a Alchem-cola, ya know!" Rothel ordered, snapping his fingers at the man behind the counter.

"Right away, bud!" He yelled, wiping a glass clean and pouring the orange-red carbonated drink into it.

He slid it across the counter and I stopped it with my left, picking up the glass and staring into the liquid for a while, my mind trying to recollect my thoughts.

"So, how ya think the Fangs'll do this season?" Rothel asked Galte.

"Galte think Ronso do good this season. Galte know Fangs defeat Abes this season. Fangs will win!" He responded, hitting his chest with his right fist in intimidation.

"Oh, is that so? Tidus, tell 'im what you know's gonna happen. Tell 'im what's gonna happen every season." He said, snapping his fingers at me and pointing.

"Uh, well, I think the Abes can win the championship again. I mean straight victories, right? I think we can keep it up. Don't count out the reigning champions, right?" I answered, my own confidence and pride showing.

"Galte wish you luck. Fangs going to win this season. Galte know. But Rothel friend of Galte so Galte wish him and new friend good luck." Galte said, patting Rothel on the shoulder.

They departed with another hug as I winced in remembrance of my own experience with it. "Hope ya the best, Galte." Rothel said.

"Goodbye, Rothel and Tidus." The white ronso returned.

He walked off to the summit as Rothel walked back over to me. "Hey, let's go." He said, pushing my shoulder to get me to start walking. With that, we began to head back for home, when…

"Ya know, talkin' with Galte got me to thinkin'." Rothel started.

"Thinking of what?" I asked, not knowing what .

"I ain't really got too many memories wit you. Maybe we should make some, ya know? Blitzball ain't everything. How 'bout it?" He replied.

"Well, what do you have in mind?" I asked, wondering what he was up to.

"Let's get to Bevelle and really pull a prank." He suggested, enthusiasm coursing through his veins.

"Um, I don't know about that. It doesn't seem like such a good idea." I returned, concerned that my answer might have hurt my friend, but in his zeal, that was impossible.

"Nah, we be fine. In fact, you can take the easy job. I'ma round up some poor shlub to get to the prank point, then you just gotta make sure the trap's all done, ya know?" He responded, eager to have me go with this plan of his.

"Fine… If you really want to." I gave in.

"Great! We gotta think up a helluva plan. This one's gotta be a killah!" He howled, extremely enthusiastic about this prank of his while he continued to brainstorm.

We arrived in Bevelle within a half an hour, hitching a ride on the back of some cargo-glyph that just happened to pass by. After it got us there, we waited about an hour outside. It took so long due to the fact that Rothel had a little prankster's block, stalling his ideas. However, he had eventually managed to think up a really "good"' one and I had to set up the trap. We entered Bevelle and, again, I noticed that weird behavior. A lot of the stores were closed and whoever was out kept rather silent I didn't want to be there. Something just told me that Bevelle and Zanarkand were feeling some turbulence and this visit wasn't helping things. The prank we'd pull wouldn't be helpful, either. It all felt like one bad move.

Regardless, I got into position and started to build the trap. The basic idea was to have a greased up floor, a sticky wall, and a nice little sign with a punch-line on it. This sign would have "Bevelle's Brightest" written on it. I guess he was gonna find some brainiac and get him to slip on the greased floor, hit the sticky wall, and look like a complete idiot while the sign was displayed above him for all to see.

My guess was correct much to my dismay. As I finished the trap, Rothel ran toward me yelling behind him about someone's mother.

"Get down!" He whispered with a low grunt, commanding me to hide.

He lunged at me, tackling me to the ground as I was too shocked to react in time. We watched as the man chasing him, a high-ranking guard of Bevelle, ran into the grease, slid, screamed, and smacked right into the wall, getting himself utterly and completely stuck and in the most awkward position at that. Rothel laughed like a lunatic as he walked out into the open. He pointed and cackled at the guard who was steaming with rage with each passing second of humiliation.

"Oh my goodness, he's gonna kill Rothel one day." I muttered, still hiding behind the crate my friend had tackled me into before. Rothel walked back over to me and, with a shake of my head, I hopped over the crates. After I assured him that I saw the end result of the prank, we ran towards the exit of Bevelle.

"Just where do you two think you're going?" Another guard asked, as he closed the gap between us, eyeing suspiciously underneath his visor.

"We were just gonna go home." I said, trying to keep a low profile. If we didn't look like troublemakers, we'd get out of there easily.

"Yea, we just plastered one o' your boys to a wall. You probably be hearin' his shrieks soon. 'Bevelle's brightest', ya know?" Rothel laughed.

The guard didn't find any of this funny calling for a few other guards to come and apprehend us. About five guards showed up, each pointing one of those bladed rifles Areth had been armed with in my dream.

"Hey man, just a joke. Don't take life so seriously, man. Take it easy, ya know!" Rothel eased with his hands held up, trying to get us out of the mess, but to no avail.

"Arrest them!" The initial guard commanded. The other guards surrounded us, closing in while still pointing their guns. Unfortunately for them, they got a little too close to me…

I whipped out my sword quickly and knocked the ones nearest me to the ground with a leg swipe. Rothel ducked right after and I lifted myself, making a higher swing with my saber, this time batting the other guards in the head with the flat side of my blade.

"Let's get out of here!" I yelled waving, for my team captain to follow.

Rothel nodded, and we ran as fast as we could back for Zanarkand. As we left the gates, a bullet hit the ground near my foot. Flashes of my dream stung my mind. Was this incident trying to tell me that my dream would become reality? More bullets came, hitting the walls and gate of Bevelle and threatening to tear into us, as well. However, seeing as it didn't hit either of us yet, we both just kept running as fast as our legs could take us.

We got back to Zanarkand rather quickly, having gone on that run at our top speed. Stopping right after the gates, we both gasped for breath, hunching over as our muscles finally had the chance to relax.

"You… are… an… idiot!" I choked out, glaring at Rothel while taking in ragged breaths of air.

"Hey… take… easy… man…" He also breathed, trying to calm me down.

"We could've died back there!" I exclaimed, my second wind kicking in, giving me enough oxygen to speak normally again.

"Nah… Never happen." Rothel said, waving a hand at me as if to push away that kind of thought.

That stunt was incredibly stupid. What if that shot had hit my foot? What if they caught us? What if I actually saw my dream come true from it? If one of those shots hit either of us, I'd never forgive myself if Rothel got hurt because I didn't deter him from that stupid prank. I promised myself that I'd never do anything that stupid again.

We walked back to Rothel's house and I threw myself on his couch and put a hand to my face, trying to calm myself down after that horrendous act.

"Tidus, I'm sorry, ya know? " Rothel apologized, speaking seriously for a change.

"Yea, I know." I mumbled just loud enough for him to hear, "But don't ever ask me to do anything like that again."

"But ya gotta admit, it was funny." He said, laughing again.

I shook my head. That kind of funny wasn't for me.

"I'm kinda pooped out. You got anywhere to go?" Rothel asked.

"Yea, I'll probably just go find Lenne. She and Kirin should be back from Besaid by now." I answered, getting up from my seat.

"You ain't mad at me, right? Just thought it'd be fun, ya know? Ain't hang wit ya like this a lot." He asked, concerned for our friendship.

"Nah, just take care of yourself, okay?" I replied, exiting his house.

I walked about aimlessly for a while, thoughts lingering on what had nearly happened. I reached Kirin's house and saw that the lights were on so I decided to knock on the door.

"Oh, Shuyin! Hey there!" Lenne said with a blush on her face as she opened the door.

"Hiya, Shuyin!" Kirin yelled from behind her, waving playfully.

She was hiding because she wasn't dressed… again. "Keep your clothes on!" I yelled, covering my eyes.

"Sorry, bad habit!" She offered, running back to the living room where she'd left her skirt and bikini top.

A short while later, Lenne uncovered my eyes by grabbing my hand. She dragged me into the house and Kirin came over to pat me on my chest. "So, is this better?" She said, presenting herself to me with a cute curtsey.

"Yes, much." I replied, nodding.

"We were thinking about dancing outside before you came so… Wanna join us?" Lenne asked.

"Sure! I'd love to see what Kirin's got." I answered.

It wasn't like I had anything else to do. Besides, dancing was relaxing and, with Lenne, it was even more relaxing. Together, we left Kirin's house.

"I knew I'd find you here!" A shrill female voice shouted. I looked and saw that it was that other summoner I'd met in Macalania, Trista.

"What do you want?" Kirin sneered, looking at the summoner with much distaste. Lenne must have told her about her and that conceited attitude of hers.

"I'm not talking to you, troll." Trista hissed, turning her gaze back to me, "We've got unfinished business."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, showing my disdain with my words.

"Oh, you know. Don't think I forgot what you did to me!" She sneered, her glare burning a hole into my chest.

"What, you didn't have enough of me when I was choking you?" I jeered back, grinning at the thought of snapping her neck.

"Enough!" She barked, "I want my revenge!" She formed her staff in her right hand and smirked at me.

"You versus me? Fine, let's see who'd win." I growled, unsheathing my sword.

"You'll regret those words." She hissed. I realized my miscalculation as I watched her starting to summon an Aeon, spinning her staff.

"Oh crap!" I mumbled, gritting my teeth.

"Stop this, Trista!" Lenne yelled, trying to keep the girl from summoning something that could tear me to pieces.

"Shut it, _Lenne_. He brought it on himself!" She snarled, finishing the summoning of Valefor with a wave, pointing the tip of her staff behind her. The winged-beast appeared behind her and gave a battle cry.

"Fine! I'll take on all your Aeons! I'll take them down one by one!" I roared, losing my fear and gaining my rage. My eyes became angry eyes again. Once again, the light blue of the pond transformed into the dark blue of a hurricane just biding its time, waiting to be unleashed.

The bird attacked me with its beak, making a sharp dive. I dodged left and it flew past me, its wing smacking me in the back of the head. I growled and lunged at it. The strike missed it as it flew upwards and made yet another dive at me. I stood my ground. As it came in, I leaped, grabbing onto it as it struggled to lose its new passenger.

"Gotcha!" I screamed, stabbing the beast in the back of the neck.

It faltered, losing altitude little by little. I jumped off of it as it hit the ground and slashed it one last time in the face for good measure, watching as it dispersed into pyreflies with a cry.

"I'll teach you to kill my Valefor!" Trista yelled, beginning a new summon. I tried to stop her, but she managed to get the Aeon out before I reached. It was an Ifrit.

"You're lucky your little bitch of a girlfriend has a Dispel Curse on me because Valefor would have killed you if I could've helped it." She stated, following with a command to her Aeon, "Ifrit! Fira!"

The summon obeyed and blasted me with flames. I dodged just in time and kept myself moving to avoid getting locked on by the beast. Closing in, I kicked off of its arm, slashed its neck, and landed in front of it. Quickly, I stabbed Ifrit behind me and heard the anguished scream of the beast as it, collapsed.

"Ifrit! Get up! Use HellFire on the bastard!" She screamed.

That really got me steamed. Nobody calls me a bastard. I didn't wait for the Aeon to attack. As it charged up the fireballs of HellFire, I ran at it and sliced off its head swiftly, far too suddenly for it to dodge. The fireballs extinguished as did Ifrit, faltering and falling onto the floor, disappearing.

"I'll get you yet!" Trista fumed, summoning yet another Aeon.

"Ixion! Thundara!" She ordered, as I watched the summoned beast form electricity with its arms, aiming for me. The bolts rained outward, racing towards me. I dashed right, but one of the bolts hit my sword, shocking me, as well.

"AhHhhH!" I screamed, the pain coursing through my body. The beast started walking towards me and I tried my best to move, but the jolt had paralyzed me.

"Stupid horse!" I grunted, cringing while trying to regain my ability to move my arm.

It formed disks of energy and sent them my way, but I blocked them both somehow with my sword. I could feel them, their energies flowing through the weapon, almost like I had absorbed their power into it. It used another Thunder spell, but I flipped over it, following through by cutting the creature in both legs and arms. It began to sway and finally kneeled onto the floor due to the injuries I gave it.

"Ixion! Use Thor's Hammer now!" Trista yelled. The Aeon slowly got back up and waved its arms around, creating a storming vortex around us both.

"Shit!" I exclaimed, running toward the beast.

I jumped onto one of its arms, spun, and slashed a deep gash straight through the beast's chest, landing in a neat stance next to the fallen creature. It vanished, as well, taking with it the vortex of lightning.

"Is that all you got?" I snarled at the stupid prissy bitch that was causing me so much grief.

"Oh, that's far from it. I'll give you something to worry about! Like… Shiva!" She cried, summoning the maiden of ice. I ran towards her without hesitation, sword held out, ready to cut her down.

"Blizzaga!" Trista commanded, choosing a stronger level of Black Magic as her other two Aeons fell with the weaker form.

Shiva waved her arms and shot a strong beam of frost at me. I tried to escape its cold grasp, but the wider radius of the spell managed to hit my leg and I crashed to the floor. My leg was frozen solid and it hurt a lot, a thousand icy needles piercing right to the bone. The maiden floated over to me and lifted me up, looking at me with icy blue eyes.

"I can't lose… I won't!" I struggled, trying to get out of her grip.

She moved her face closer to me, closing her eyes. My guess was that she was trying to kiss me, a kiss that would bring only cold death by their touch.

"No!" I growled, shaking as her lips came closer.

At the last possible second, my leg felt warm again and I also managed to struggle out of my shirt that Shiva was still holding. When I landed on the floor, I quickly sprung up and kneed her in the gut, causing her to fold over. Then, I took the opportunity to get my sword in position. As she rose, I stabbed her in the gut and twisted. Her body fell onto mine and with a cold tear, Shiva became another of my victims.

"Fine! So what if you beat those wimps. You won't beat my next Aeon!" Trista hissed, beginning to summon yet another Aeon.

"Now, witness my power! I call forth Bahamut!" She roared, summoning the most powerful Aeon I'd ever seen.

"Bahamut! Destroy!" She ordered, yelling at her dragon. The beast roared, a sound that penetrated my mind, body, and soul. Fear grasped me.

"What was I to do now? I can't fight Bahamut." I told myself silently.

It charged at me with unequivocal speed. I tried to dodge, but its claw caught me and tore into my chest. The shear force of the impact sent my body flying backwards. When I landed, I had three blood-spewing tears etched onto my chest and I was coughing up the same substance.

"Shuyin!" Both Kirin's and Lenne's voices screamed, the pitch sounding so far off.

Bahamut came back around, ready for a second strike. I stumbled back onto my feet and fearfully awaited its next and, given the current statistics, most likely its final assault. Then, it came at me again, glistening claws extended, covering a fading sun with its ominous presence.

The grin on Trista's face showed me that I had lost. My vision blurred a little, but I forced them to focus with a shake of my head.

"Shuyin!" Lenne cried once more, tears streaming down her face as she watched on, totally powerless.

It was true that she had the spells Cure, Cura, and Curaga that could have helped me. However, as she was holding back Trista from aiding her Aeons, her own abilities were tied up. Lenne wouldn't be able to save me if I should be struck again.

I waited, acting even more injured that I truly was, though I was definitely damaged horribly. The beast lunged at me, its razor-sharp claw held out in front as if to reach into my crimson-covered chest and rip my still-beating heart straight out. At the last possible moment, however, I jumped and flew into the air above the beast. I pointed my sword downward and, as Bahamut's body passed me by, the entire spine had a deep gash apparent upon it. The creature roared in pain, crashing through a nearby lightpost.

"Get up!" I heard Trista scream, furious at my survival.

The Aeon, too, seemed peeved, growling at the sight of my living form. It flew at me yet again. This time I chose to latch onto it. I waited for it to get close enough to me and then I grabbed onto the large golden ring at the shoulders of the immense Aeon. I hung on tightly despite my loss of blood and energy. With my sword in hand, I impaled the dragon with it, the blade passing from the back of the skull right through the mouth. I tore my weapon out from the left side of Bahamut's face, ripping apart the jaw. I leapt off of the creature and it landed in a heap, struggling to keep from having to admit it was dying. With one final attempt, the beast surged back to life and planted itself on the ground. Energy swirled around the golden ring I balanced myself with before and its mouth began to glow as power focused and grew.

"Yay! MegaFlare now!" Trista commanded, the tone of her voice alarming me to the magnitude of her Bahamut's strength.

I had to act quickly. I had to make sure to stop this beast before he could fire that energy and fry me to a crisp. I couldn't think of a way out, but something else did. My body took on a life of its own and decided on making use of its own ultimate blast. I watched on as it positioned my sword back, bringing a fist in front to signal the start of my assault. I could feel energy collecting inside me. With a glare at the Aeon opposite my form, I gathered all the energy into the blade. Bahamut finished and sent the stream of destruction towards my direction. Meanwhile, I had collected enough energy, as well, and sent forth my own power.

"Force Rain!" I heard myself erupt as the energy flew towards the MegaFlare.

Both concentrations of energy collided and destroyed one another as the winds swirled fiercely from their wake. Bahamut cried its final cry and collapsed to the ground, dead. The pyreflies rose up from its melting body and flew back to Trista as her face became pale, but vengeful nonetheless.

"Okay! Enough with the nice girl act!" She shrieked. Again, she started a summoning.

Cherry blossoms formed and fluttered in the wind and drums began a slow beat. There was a chime and Trista's Aeon was revealed, manifesting itself amongst a cloud of the petals. This Aeon was one I'd never seen. It looked like an obese man with a large straw hat.

"I'll bet you've never come across this little baby. I picked him up at this cave that you're never going to find. This baby's got an attack that can't be beat!" She gloated.

This Aeon was strange, though. It didn't immediately attack like the others and Trista didn't command it right away, either. Instead, it seemed to be waiting for something, standing firm in a defensive stance. After a while, I found out what that was and, sure to say, it amused me even while I was in such a state.

Trista strolled over to the Aeon and said, "Here Yojimbo. Your payment for killing this little dweeb."

With that, the summoner dropped a large sack into the awaiting open palm of the Aeon. It nodded and proceeded to take out a sword. The sword didn't really look that impressive, though. I heard Trista fume at Yojimbo for that.

"That's not Zanmato! Don't use Daigoro! Use Zanmato!" She barked but the Aeon didn't pay attention.

Obviously, even with my bleeding and fatigue, this was quite the brow-raiser and I couldn't help but crack a smile. It seemed like this Aeon was nothing more than a mercenary. Yojimbo approached slowly but menacingly nonetheless. It pulled the sword up to the sky and I charged it, running out of patience as the life-maintaining crimson continued to flow from my wounds. I went to swipe at its midsection, but it brought down the sword to block. The sword shattered in the clash, much to my amazement.

"What the?" I stammered, utterly baffled by the horrible craftsmanship of the blade.

"Use ZANMATO!" Trista screamed. Next, the Aeon pulled out yet another blade.

This one was abnormally short and I thought Yojimbo was spiting its master. "Use Zanmato! Don't use Wakizashi!" Said the pompous summoner of whom I spoke.

I couldn't help but laugh. Yojimbo was the perfect Aeon for her. It was so very humorous to watch her Aeon disobey every one of her commands to use whatever Zanmato was.

"Silence, worm-bait!" Trista growled, pointing me out for her summon to attack.

Quickly, Yojimbo lunged at me, trying to impale me on the end of its short blade. I parried and struck the assailant's wrist, severing it. Yojimbo howled in pain and Trista smiled. She wasn't smiling at the Aeon's wound as punishment for not following orders, however. Instead, she was smiling at the fact that I had just pissed it off. It was going to use Zanmato because of that. The sword it pulled out then, it had created out of thin air. This time, the kitana actually felt like raw power. I braced myself. Yojimbo sped to me and made a downward strike, trying to cut me in half. I somersaulted away and put my sword out to my rear. I charged towards the creature and slashed at it countless times in various places. First a horizontal slash, then a diagonally upward one, followed by a vertical upward, and so on. I continued this for at least two minutes straight and Yojimbo was powerless to stop me as I never stayed in the same place while delivering the blows.

"I call it, the Hit and Run." I said, finishing the attack.

Yojimbo limped forward to me just a little, but as it went to try and grab my neck, it winced in pain, falling forward and separating into a shower of pyreflies against my body.

"Grr… Stupid useless Aeons! I can't believe they were beaten by a dumb, stupid boy!" Trista huffed, having a hissy fit.

"So, get lost already!" Kirin tried to grumble, her voice not suited for the tone.

She added to her statement by motioning her hands to shoo the summoner away. I didn't want that, though. She had gone too far with this fight. She was going to let her Bahamut kill me. I ran to her with no one able to suspect my actions. I grabbed her by her flimsy neck and lifted her struggling form off the ground just like I had done the last time, except I was planning to let her go this time around.

"You go too far m'lady summoner." I snarled, tightening my grasp.

She couldn't speak. All she could do was choke, and choke she did, that haggish face flushing red as her breath slowly started to stop. I wasn't about to let her off with a warning. No, she'd pay for her failed attempt.

"Shuyin! Stop!" Lenne cried, pulling at my free arm.

I didn't pay attention. My eyes never left Trista's for a moment. Cold and dead blue eyes stared at her like a tiger stares at a doe before tearing out its throat. "Time to visit the Farplane." I growled, tightening my grip ever more.

I started to hear the cracking of her vertebrae and my evil and vicious gaze grew to display the satisfaction I received from her squirming. That's when I was thrown back by an invisible force, one that had saved Trista's worthless life.

"ENOUGH!" I heard in the distance.

From some yards away, the woman I'd seen before, the daughter of Yu Yevon, Yunalesca, arrived…


	12. Chapter 11

_Chapter 11: Unity, the illusion_

Yunalesca walked over to Trista and checked to see if she was all right. Seeing that I had left a nice big red hand-imprint on her neck brought me some satisfaction, but gained her only anger. Her eyes trailed the ground until it came upon my fallen form. She glared at me with such cold disdain. How dare she? I was just assaulted by a summoner and her entire roster of Aeons for no reason other than to watch me die and this was to be my fault? I glared back at the woman, my eyes a cold blue of steel. The hatred I bore for Trista expanded and included this one, as well. Arrogantly, I got to my feet.

"Look, this doesn't concern you. That summoner and I are involved with this situation. That does not include you! Do me a favor and buzz off, NOW!" I growled at Yunalesca.

Her gaze held strong at me still however, a look of disgust. Proud summoners, curse them all. I began to walk towards her. The wound across my chest was still fresh and hurting me with each passing second, but I didn't care. I had enough malice in me to carry on.

"Look, I don't have the patience to deal with two bitches so if you wouldn't mind…" I sneered.

"I don't care if you mind or not. You harmed a summoner and therefore you will be punished!" She hissed back.

This was getting on my nerves, thinning out what remained of my calm. I had said more than what I should have had to say. Besides, actions did speak louder than words.

I unsheathed my sword yet again and swung it to her, holding it to her throat. Her eyes grew wide, unsuspecting of my hasty assault. A brief moment of hesitation and I pulled back for the swipe, but… Fortunately for her, another blade caught mine before it could do any damage.

"And you are?" I said, glaring at a man in golden armor and a cloak.

"Blitzer, my name is Lord Zaon. I'd suggest you remember it well." He mused.

"Oh, of course, my lord. I'll embed your name deep within my mind… after I embed this blade in your skull." I said, mocking his title.

He had enough and I was already waiting for a fight. With a simple move, he broke up our lock and tried to put a gash in my middle. I expected that all too easily and backed away calmly, dodging the attack without difficulty. Then it was my turn. I pulled up my sword and whipped it around my front in a diagonal slash. He quickly held up this blade and blocked it, kneeling on one knee to brace the impact.

"How does it feel, my lord, to be kneeling in front of a commoner?" I mocked yet again, my words coated in the poison of my rage.

"How DARE you!" He fumed, moving away and getting back into his stance.

I charged him, jumping at the last second, while he swung in offense, and flipping while placing my sword out. Unable to block, the _lord_ had to roll out of the way to avoid injury.

"Shuyin! Stop this!" Lenne cried, finally having gathered herself at this turn of events.

"You need to keep your blitzer in line! You are a summoner! Act like one!" Yunalesca instructed her.

I noticed Lenne getting a bit ticked off herself, slowly balling up her fists. "I'm sick of you summoners acting like 'the miracle of Spira!' You aren't! All people are equal and you should learn that! Shuyin isn't my slave! I don't give him orders. He and I cooperate. Maybe your husband needs to realize he isn't merely your pet!" Lenne argued.

"You get her Lenne!" Kirin added, sticking her tongue out at Yunalesca. That sent the woman over the top.

And it was then that Trista chimed in to throw more wood on the flames. "Butt out bimbo."

"Who are you calling a bimbo? I'll show you bimbo!" Kirin challenged, putting up her own dukes in her fighting stance.

Now this fight had gotten out of hand. I was fine when it was just me and this idiot, but now Lenne and Kirin were involved and I didn't want either of them to get hurt. "Lenne, Kirin, stay out of this!" I ordered, parrying another strike by Zaon. The two ignored me, much to my dismay, and I couldn't do anything about it on account of my opponent's incessant assaults.

At that point, Lenne was ready to face off against Yunalesca and Kirin had her daggers out, ready to face Trista. Meanwhile, I dodged a swing at my throat and winced at the pain of stretching my wounded chest to that extent. I managed only a back tumble to regain my footing, grabbing my chest when I finished and crouched on the ground to recover.

"Off your game, blitzer?" He jeered.

I got back up in an instant, answering his ploy with sheer defiance, a foolish move on my part as it caused my wound to reopen and sent a stinging pain straight through my form. I winced again, but I ignored it and lunged at Zaon with all I could muster. He sidestepped as expected, my approach too off-balance to catch a seasoned knight like he was, but I swung my sword horizontally, at the last second, hitting him square across the chest, cutting his armor and letting his blood seep out onto it and my sword. He stumbled back in surprise, touching the new color of red on his outfit. Glaring at me, he recklessly charged me and my face beamed with the lord's prideful folly. I had him right where I wanted him. As he got in range, I ducked his strike, a harsh forward stab, extending my leg and tripping him. When he fell to the floor, I was already standing with my sword pressed to the back of his neck.

"You shouldn't have tried to stop me." I stated coldly.

Suddenly, I heard a scream of pain from behind. As I turned, I noticed that Lenne had just taken a Thunder spell from Yunalesca and was totally paralyzed, making it impossible for her to even attempt to avoid the Firaga spell that would be coming for her next.

"LENNE!" I cried, running towards her.

As I did, I also noticed that Kirin wasn't doing so well, either. Trista had her pinned to the ground with a couple of Blizzard spells, freezing her legs and arms. She wasn't able to use her daggers and Trista gloated as she cast Cura on herself from a previous stab injury, stalking over my friend to show her dominance.

While I was focused on these things, Zaon took advantage of my lack of attention. I had my back turned so he had the perfect opportunity to take me out. He swept my legs from under me and I fell on my side, cringing at the strain to my front. Before anything else, he was standing over me, his rapier pressed to my throat. "Never ever turn your back to me. I can promise you, you will not take pleasure in the results." He gloated. I was defeated. Zaon used my distraction to get the better of me. That was the least of my concern, though.

"Yunalesca, STOP! Don't you dare hurt Lenne!" I exclaimed.

She wasn't impressed. After all, how much of a threat was a guy who was pinned to the floor with a sword pressed against his neck? She laughed a little before saying, in the harshest of tones, "You foolish little athlete. Never ever challenge a summoner. Never harm a summoner. I will leave you to your business if you can remember that."

Lenne had enough. Taking her chance when Yunalesca wasn't paying attention, she quickly cast Thundaga. The spell hit the woman hard and she went down quickly, slightly shocked by the assault. "Maybe it's you who shouldn't be barking orders like you're his keeper!" She suggested, throwing her own Firaga at her opponent.

I also took advantage of that, while Zaon had his focus on his wife. He didn't notice, but I slid my neck away from his sword and began to move mine. A moment later, he noticed the missing target at the end of his weapon, but a moment was still eons too late.

"Fool, die for your insolence!" He said, stabbing down with the sword and then realizing my movement.

The sword jabbed into the ground and I quickly kicked his feet from under him, pushing them into a split while I rolled back to my feet after with a kick to his chin. Moments later, once he'd shaken off my maneuver, I was on him, my blade bearing down in a vertical slash. He blocked it just in time, though still trapped in the split, which wasn't too easy a position for him to be in. I took advantage and moved our joined swords near his chin. One wrong move and he'd be finished while I could make all the bad moves in the world. The weapon was poised at his throat, not mine after all. I could've sneezed right there and it would've been his head, literally.

"Foul rapscallion!" He sneered.

"Aw, did the infamous Lord Zaon wound his pride? I feel simply terrible." I mocked.

He wasn't a match for me, as much as he believed he was. The thing is, I was trained by Takuma, an unsent. Who knew how many years or even decades he could've been around, teaching himself new tricks to reflect his craft. And he taught all of those tricks to me or at least provided me with ample time to find the defect in each one so I could see through the best attacks. Exactly how was I to lose to some lap dog of a husband? I had the fighting technique of someone who had been around longer than any living warrior.

"How dare you mock me?" Zaon growled, his honor having been damaged in my victory.

"Hey, I only do it because you look so cute when you're pissed off." I mused, extremely satisfied by his fuming expression.

Meanwhile, as I looked around, Lenne had Yunalesca practically cornered. I could tell she was enjoying her fight, too, considering she was just as sick and tired of that woman as I was. Also, Trista was losing to Kirin. While she gloated, the spell faded and Kirin was able to attack again, I suppose. In any case, she was on top of Trista, one dagger pinned tightly on her chest while mocking her with funny faces.

"I have had it with you!" Yunalesca screamed.

I looked back over and saw that she was summoning an Aeon, one I'd never seen before. "It is time to end this! If you will not comply, I will relinquish you from this world!" She continued. The summoned beast looked strange. It appeared to be some sort of iron gladiator that wielded an axe.

"What is that?" Lenne gasped, staring up at the creature with terrified eyes.

"Efface her from this world, Foricon!" Yunalesca commanded, directing the metallic juggernaut at my love.

"LENNE!" I cried, removing my sword to help her.

Zaon seemed to let me go. I guess even he thought Yunalesca had gone too far by then. When the beast swung its axe, Lenne cowered. Why wouldn't she? I'm the one with the sword. All she had were spells and summons and at this speed, she'd never be able to cast one in time. I rushed over to her and at the last minute, blocked the swipe. However, the Aeon was immensely powerful. The axe slammed into my sword and plunged me into the ground, Lenne screaming as I fell. I held my sword there, trying my best to keep the opposing weapon from reaching me. My strength was giving. I had been going on adrenaline this whole time and by that point, with it used up, I was fading fast.

"Stop this! Please!" I heard from two locations. Both Kirin and Lenne screamed for the madwoman to stop her Aeon. Would she listen?

"Yuna, please." Zaon spoke up.

He knew this was going too far. Even for a drone, no one with a conscious would have agreed to killing a heavily wounded and exhausted man. I was injured. The only reason I beat Zaon was because I wanted to wipe that smirk off his face, and I had. Now, struggling against this creature, while at the same time losing a lot of blood, I was totally done for. If the Aeon didn't stop in a few seconds, the axe would be lodged into my skull for sure.

"Stop Foricon!" Yunalesca finally commanded, calling the Aeon back and allowing me to rest.

Afterwards, she walked up to my fallen form and smiled. It wasn't a friendly smile. It was one that said that I lost and she won. I tried to lift myself off the ground so I could smack that smile off her face, but I just couldn't. She decided to gloat some more at my weariness and put her heel into my wound, digging in deep and making it sting further.

"Little blitz rat, do not upset me. Otherwise, I will have to squash you like all the other disobedient rodents!" She snarled, pushing her heel into my wound more, before stepping off and leaving with Trista and her husband.

I remained on the ground with the onlookers watching their fallen blitz champion coated in a thick film of crimson, desperately trying to recover and stand so as to show I wasn't about to admit defeat.

"Shuyin! Are you okay?" Lenne and Kirin both yelled, coming to my aid.

"I'm fine. Just my pride that hurts the most." I sighed, allowing my two female companions to help me back to my feet.

"You shouldn't have tried to hurt Trista like that." Lenne said, while taking a look at my wound, examining the aggravated damage.

"Lenne, she was totally out of line! What was Shuyin supposed to do? Are you okay? She was kinda rough of you." Kirin asked me sympathetically, also tending to my injuries.

"I'm fine. Just fine. Don't worry about me. I just need to get this wound cleaned up and I'll be peachy." I said, groaning a little when Lenne probed the spot that Yunalesca's heel engraved itself into my memory. The blood was hardening. It made the slightest stretching of skin cause enormous pain.

We headed back inside to Kirin's house, leaving the passersby to ponder the events that shattered their peaceful lives. The two of them helped me to the kitchen where Lenne got me a few pieces of gauze and some rubbing alcohol. I took one of the pieces and put some water on it. I wanted to rub off the dried blood before cleaning the wound with the alcohol. Carefully, I wiped away all of the stains on my chest, large pools of crimson forming in the sink as I did so. When I finished, I saw the three claw marks. Thank you Bahamut. Next, I took a couple of pieces and filled it with the alcohol. It would sting horribly, but what choice did I have? I had to clean out the wound before it could become infected. I didn't want to get sick and I wanted to prevent a scar. Slowly and very cautiously, I pressed the gauze onto my wound. The pain was enormous and excruciating, but nothing compared to actually getting the wound, so I could handle it. Kirin bit her bottom lip while I did this and bit down harder each time I winced from the pain.

"Stop that. You're gonna end up chewing your lip right off if you don't stop." I joked.

"Funny, Shuyin, but I'm just worried about ya. You know that." She replied, her expression contorted in sympathetic agony.

"I know… Thanks for that." I told her, smiling afterwards.

I continued to clean off my wound and Lenne found some cloth for me to use as a makeshift bandage. I placed the cloth across my chest and wrapped it around a few times, pinning it together once I finished. Almost immediately, the cloth showed three smears of red. I washed my hands and went to look for my shirt. Kirin jumped up in front of me then, handing me the article of clothing.

"I grabbed it from the floor as soon as you finished off Trista."

"Thanks."

"Shuyin, are you sure you're alright?" Lenne asked. "Maybe we should take you to the hospital."

"No, that won't be necessary. C'mon guys, I'm going to be fine."

"Ooh, why do Yunalesca and those other summoners have to be such self-righteous meanies?" Kirin asked, not being able to rid herself of those unpleasant thoughts, like I hadn't.

"That's just the way people are. If you can do something that someone else can't, you want to rub that into their faces. It all comes down to pride." I answered her.

"I don't know. I mean she's nice to the other summoners. She just seems to have a problem with you and me." Lenne inputted.

I guessed the reason for Yunalesca not liking her was because Lenne was first, a songstress and second, a summoner. In Yunalesca's mind, being a summoner ranks you higher than everybody else and therefore, they were the overlords ruling us commoners. Well, I have to admit that Aeons are a force to be reckoned with, but that still doesn't permit you any more dominance than anyone else. I'm a star blitzer, the talk of the town, but I don't act all high and mighty because of it. I just win my games and keep up the Tidus persona.

"Ya know, I think they are stuck up. That's all really. They just make themselves the big shots of Zanarkand and we are all the little people who have to praise them." Kirin stated, her distaste for summoners showing with each syllable.

"I don't know. I still think that it's just because of human nature." I returned, trying to calm my friend, "People want to be recognized for their gifts. If you can do what few others can, you want the rest to acknowledge that."

"Shuyin, you know as well as I do that you're probably the best blitzer on all of Spira. Do you act like they do? If they're right, you should be out there making people sing your praises, too, but you and Lenne never act like jerks the way they do." Kirin retorted.

She was right. I was an extremely talented blitzer, regardless if I wanted to think it or not, and I never let it go to my head. However, that has to do with my father and how he always rubbed it in my face that he was the best. I mean cocky is alright, but downright conceited, that's another thing. He was my example about the personal consequences of being too proud.

"Kirin, you know that I'm not stuck up only because of Jecht." I reminded, voicing my thoughts.

"Sure, you had your self-righteous father, but what about them? I'm sure someone in their lives could've shown them not to act like they're a gift from the Farplane." Kirin argued still.

"Kirin… I agree with Shuyin. He was lucky to have his father as an example of someone he didn't want to be. Perhaps Yunalesca and those others just didn't. Is that too hard to believe?" Lenne suggested.

"Oh yeah? Then what about you? What makes you not a snotty summoner like them? You are after all a summoner, too!" Kirin just wouldn't let up.

"Well, I'm just not that kind of person. My parents taught me never to speak too highly of myself. They didn't want me to get a big head and set myself up for a fall. 'Overconfidence can only lead to self-destruction', they always used to tell me." Lenne explained.

Yes, Lenne had her parents to show her that pride was a stupid concept and I had my horrible excuse of a father. I'll bet that having Yu Yevon for a father didn't really teach Yunalesca the meaning of the word humility. She grew up thinking that summoners run our home and well that's only because Yu Yevon was a capable leader. It's not because he's a summoner, but because he knew how to keep Zanarkand from going belly up. Unfortunately, it wasn't too farfetched to think Yunalesca wouldn't have thought along those lines.

"You know what? I don't really care anymore. As long as you guys aren't like that, I'll get over it. Although, I was very glad to make that little worm, Trista, plead for my mercy." Kirin told Lenne, smirking at the thought of defeating that summoner earlier.

"Heh, yeah. She deserved it. Now there's an example of conceited. The poor girl's headed for the falls without even a paddle to guide her foolishness back." I said, recalling how Trista had sent her entire wave of Aeons against me.

"Ya know, you're the one who really put her in her place. You just beat her six Aeons before. That's rather impressive, wouldn't you say? And when you lifted her by her scrawny little neck, I thought you were actually going to snap it." Kirin reveled.

"Well, Kirin, I was. I was definitely angry enough. She was just gonna waltz outta there right after trying to kill me. I wasn't about to let her leave without a scratch. I'm not that nice a person." I corrected, once again smiling from that handprint I had left.

And why shouldn't I have been smiling? I had every right. She thought she could just walk up, disrupt our original plans, attempt homicide, and leave like nothing happened? I saw to it that that didn't happen. I hope you remember me well, Trista…

"Well, what do we do now? I'm a little too exhausted to start dancing." I said, giving a big yawn.

Kirin smiled at me and said, "Well, that's expected. You lost how much blood? I mean you were bleeding every second after that Bahamut thing slashed you."

"Yes, are you alright? That strike was quite powerful and those gashes looked very deep." Lenne asked, still worried, "I tried Cura, but I'm not sure it was enough." She didn't emphasize her concern before, but from her look up until then, she was extremely flustered over it, as usual.

"Don't act like I'm gonna die. You see me now, right? Like I said, I'm perfectly healthy. I'm just a little tired and that's from losing a lot of blood earlier, as Kirin just pointed out, but if I could live for a half an hour without needing a transfusion, I think I'll live." I replied to her, trying to rid her of all those thoughts, "You really don't have to worry so much about me. I'm a fighter. A scratch like that isn't going to kill me." …Even if that scratch came from a monster of a dragon with foot-long claws… The wound was harsh, yes, but it wasn't bad enough. I dodged a direct hit enough so the claws didn't sink all the way in, even if they still sank rather far. Besides, I'm strong and I can handle three gashes and bleeding for about two hours.

Finally, Kirin decided to get up from her seat and put on some music. The DP she chose to play just happened to be one of Lenne's albums, which conveniently lightened the mood.

"You have my albums?" Lenne asked.

That shouldn't have been surprising. Just about all the girls and a lot of the guys in Zanarkand had her albums. They were like gold, especially when signed, much like my signed blitz balls. "Of course she has your albums. Even I got your albums, after I heard you sing. I mean, besides that, you are Zanarkand's best songstress. You'd have to go pretty far to find someone who didn't love your work." I responded.

"Yeah, before he met you, he used to just listen to that horribly loud rock music." Kirin mused, putting the DP into her player.

"Well, I know I have fans all over Zanarkand. I just never knew you guys were among them. Silly of me, I guess." She said, coming over and sitting on my lap.

"You should know I'm a fan. I've been to every one of your concerts ever since that day so many months back. And Kirin here has been a fan practically since you debuted." I explained, kissing Lenne on the cheek.

"Oh, I had no idea. I never had friends as fans before. All my friends either work in the studio, are other songstresses, or are summoners that never talk to me about my singing." She explained, slightly wowing at discovering the expansion to her fanbase.

"Ugh, this dumb thing won't work." Kirin groaned, smacking the DP-player.

Lenne got up and went over. "You know, I don't think hitting it was in the troubleshooting part of the manual." She giggled, putting a hand on Kirin's back.

"Stupid machina! Why won't you work!" Kirin growled, getting up and kicking it.

"Hey, take it easy! Don't get mad at a machina that you let Kion borrow. You know how irresponsible he can be." I offered, getting out of my seat and stopping Kirin from kicking the poor piece of machinery.

"Ooh, why did I let that idiot borrow my player!" Kirin complained.

"Hey, that's your problem. You figure it out. Not even I could tell you what possessed you to lend it to him of all people." I laughed.

"Shuyin!" Kirin grumbled, kicking me in the leg. It was the leg I had injured during that blitz game so long ago. By now, it was healed, but still sore, and with that kick, my leg told me it wasn't pleased. I winced a little, just enough for Kirin to realize what she did.

"Oh, sorry! I forgot about that thing! You know, I haven't said anything yet, but that was impressive how you stopped your own move and scored the last goal." Kirin said, appeasing me from the kick.

"Yes, wasn't that something? I asked him about it before. He told me that shot was unblockable, and then he did it. He told me it was due to the fact that I was watching him, haha." Lenne added.

"Aw, that's so sweet. I didn't know you were so romantic, Shuyin." Kirin said to me, clasping her hands together and placing them to one side of her face.

"Well, it's the truth. If she wasn't out there, I'd let it go into overtime and score when it was our ball. You know, make it simple. But Lenne was there and she deserved to see something that she'd never seen before. Blocking the Jecht shot seemed like something that fit into that category." I shrugged. Kirin punched me in the shoulder lightly.

"You aren't kiddin' that fits. That's what I call charisma! You put your body on the line so that people would have a show!" I smiled and put a hand on the back of my head.

It wasn't really _that_ impressive.

"So, what are we gonna do now?" Kirin asked the two of us, returning to the subject matter.

"Um, I haven't a clue. Lenne, do you have any suggestions?" I replied, looking over to her with a shrug.

"Well, it is late. Maybe we should just settle in for the night. Just look at the time. It's past midnight." Lenne noted.

Kirin and I both looked up at the clock. It was way past midnight and I was still exhausted from losing that blood. "Yeah, we probably should turn in." I added, nodding for a confirmation from Kirin.

She returned my nod and therefore, we each went upstairs and got ready for bed. I was to sleep in one of Kirin's guest rooms and I made sure to take a shower. First of all, I smelled like a dead shoopuff. Second, I wanted to make sure my wound was as clean as can be. I cleaned up and plopped down on the guest bed thinking about the day's events.

As soon as I fell asleep, I had yet another dream… This time, I found myself in the darkness. The atmosphere was foggy and I could barely see anything. Finally, I began to make out a few shadows. As I got closer, I realized they were the silhouettes of Trista and Zaon. I approached those two and they simply stared at me.

"What's going on?" I asked them.

Neither replied, however, the fog became lighter and I noticed more silhouettes. They were still covered in darkness and stood behind Zaon and Trista, still as statues. I hadn't a clue as to what was going on. Why were they here? What were they doing in my dream? Why was I dreaming about these two of all people? Then, I saw something that really surprised me. A large figure was hovering over all of them. It had its arms out as if it was a puppeteer manipulating the live puppets before me.

"Who are you?" I called up at the shadow. It didn't reply.

Slowly though, the fog became even less dense and revealed to me the identity of the shaded figure. Yunalesca was up there, a large overseer, ominously hovering over her minions. "Yunalesca?" I shouted, "What are you doing?" She just stared like the others, but her disdainful visage presented itself. I couldn't even really tell if it was me they were staring at, though. It was almost as if they were just waiting for something.

I decided that perhaps I should go the other way. I turned around and started walking, but more people appeared. This time it was Lenne and Kirin. Behind those two were Rothel, Kion, and Vena. All I could think about was what was going on? Why were they there? Why was there a giant Yunalesca overlooking us from behind my back? Why did it seem like everyone was waiting for something to happen? What did they expect was coming?

"Lenne, Kirin? What are you guys doing? Rothel? Kion? C'mon! Somebody answer me! Vena, what's going on?" I asked, pleading with them to talk, to snap out of their trance. None of them answered. Lenne gave me a desperate smile, almost like tragedy had struck us, but that was all. Why was she upset? This was incredibly confusing.

I turned to my left to take a look. Again, more shadows and people stood there, pawns to a cryptic message I wasn't capable of deciphering. I saw Areth. Behind him was the heaviest part of the darkness. However, deep within that darkness was something that brought out a sense of dread. Something was in that dark shroud. It was almost as if I could feel that it would cause horrible strife and bitter regret one day. Then, I got a small glimpse at the antagonist as the shadow beckoned to my curiosity. All I could see was a pair of glowing, emotionless, blue eyes. The stare from those cold eyes sent a shiver down my spine. Was that how I appeared when I was angry? I knew my eyes gave away my emotion, but if I looked anything like this creature that was staring straight back into my eyes, I'd swear I was evil.

Again I turned around, trying to escape the trance created by the horrid fiend. If three sides had people, there must be a fourth. How right I was. There was a fourth side to this. I saw Takuma. His was the side that had no darkness. Instead, I saw a wondrous garden blossoming behind him. It was littered with pyreflies. By my guess, this was the Farplane. If it was, it was magnificent. Purple and pink flowers everywhere and all were in full bloom. There was a waterfall with crystal waters flowing constantly down a lush purple hillside. How majestic. But something was wrong. Takuma also had a look to him. It was the same look that he had given me that time when Lenne was in trouble in Macalania.

"Takuma!" I breathed, wondering what was wrong.

"I fear your future." He said, those cruel words echoing across the dark plane. It was what he had said to me earlier, during that same event. I still didn't know what he meant, what he wanted to warn me of. Was he talking about my fight with Trista? Was that the problem?

"Takuma, don't worry. I beat her. I even beat Zaon. You have nothing to fear. I'm perfectly fine. You are a great teacher." I told him, displaying my form for him to review. He didn't. Instead, he shook his head and repeated his words. I didn't understand. Perhaps I should have paid better attention, but I just didn't know what could've have been wrong.

I looked all around me. I looked back at Yunalesca's corner. They were all just standing there, stiff as statues just as they'd been since the start, endlessly waiting for an event that wouldn't come. Someone else had appeared behind Yunalesca. It was a man; that much the shadows let me uncover. He was cloaked heavily in the darkness, but I knew it was a man just by his stature. I couldn't see beyond that, but there was a sense of dread about his identity that I couldn't shake.

I turned back to Takuma's area and it was gone. The Farplane had vanished. What replaced it was a white space. That gave me a strange feeling, like I'd lost my chance at finding peace with its departure. I shrugged it off, though, calling it superstition, and went to my side. Lenne was solemn. A single tear slid down her face as I felt a wave of despair suddenly wash over me. Was she crying? But what was the reason for that? I tried to walk up to her to comfort her, but Areth appeared and stopped me in my tracks. He restrained me and for some reason, I couldn't make myself punch him for interfering. I couldn't make him get out of my way; he was too strong or too convincing… I looked at him and he returned my gaze. For a while, we just stared into each other's eyes, his aura sending another cold chill down my spine. Then, he gave me a look I never wanted to see again. It was that same look he gave me from after the blitz game. It was the look he gave me in my first dream. His smirk proved to be even more frightening than those blue eyes that still glared at me from the distance.

"Areth, what's going on?" I questioned, my voice exemplifying my frustration. He did nothing but stare and smirk, his hands still clasped to my shoulders.

"What…" I tried to ask again, but couldn't.

A shot was fired. I looked at my chest and it was bleeding. I had been shot! My heart, I felt it go limp. I was dying. My body collapsed onto Areth and he alone supported me, picking my chin up so that he could still smile at me with that hideous smirk. His mouth grew wider and his teeth were bared, an almost inhuman expression. Slowly, with mock sympathy, Areth said something. Although, I saw his mouth move, I couldn't hear what he was telling me before my vision completely blurred out and the area went dark except for those two eyes that grinned at me even as all faded.

Why was this happening to me?

What did this all mean?

I wanted to know.

No, I needed to know!


	13. Chapter 12

_Chapter 12: Two's a couple, three's just plain fun_

So, a second dream. I wondered what these dreams were supposed to mean and why it seemed to happen when there's something about summoners going around. The first dream occurred when Lenne had just become a summoner. Then this dream came about when the Trista/Yunalesca problem arose. What could it have meant?

A bright new day arrived and I awoke first, restless with the what ifs of my future, the possibilities of my fate. I could tell that Kirin was still asleep because I didn't hear any music and singing. How much energy that girl had was amazing. I'll bet that if someone could harness her perkiness, it could power up all of Zanarkand for years to come. Anyway, I also knew that Lenne wasn't awake. That was more of a feeling. It was as if her consciousness had some effect on me. Perhaps it was a smell or maybe a sound. It was just that whenever she was awake, I'd smell a perfume that I'd never smell anywhere else. I could sense her… No, that didn't really make sense, but I'll just go with a guy feeling. Yes, I'll blame it on that.

Anyway, after a half an hour of my babbling my own thoughts to myself, I knew Kirin was up. Off in the distance, beyond the closed door to my room, I could hear loud, off-key singing coming from a shower that had just been turned on. She wasn't fully awake and therefore her voice was coming out all groggy. Not that that was going to stop her, of course. Minutes after the shower went off, I knew Lenne was awake, too. Well, awake only due to the 'custom' alarm clock that had woken me on several occasions in my past. I smiled. The familiar scent, my so-called feeling, of jasmine came to me. Hmm, this day would be relaxing…

"Good morning sleepy head!" Kirin shouted, popping into my room to throw a pillow at my face.

"Argh… I was already awake, too." I groaned, partially expecting this yet totally caught off guard anyway.

"Yeah, sure you were Shuyin." Kirin mused, "I'm gonna go and wake Lenne up." And so she did.

After a few seconds, I heard a muffled thump and a voice say, "Ow." That would be Lenne. It seems that this alarm clock didn't just awaken you with sound, but also with some physical prodding. I heard footsteps coming toward me.

"Morning all!" I greeted as Lenne and Kirin came in, Lenne holding a hand up to her arm.

"I'm sorry, Lenne!" Kirin pleaded.

"I already forgave you. It's okay." Lenne replied, still rubbing her arm.

"What happened to you? A pillow doesn't hurt that much does it?" I asked.

"If that pillow weighed about a hundred and ten pounds and had some bones in it, it would." Lenne moaned.

My eyes went wide, "She jumped on you? Kirin!"

"I'm SORRY!" Kirin cried.

"That's okay. If Lenne's already forgiven you, then it's fine. Are you okay?" I asked my love after trying to rid my friend of her guilt.

"I'll live. My poor arm is getting a blue spot, but I'll live." She said, rubbing her injury. I got out of bed and walked over to her.

"Here, let me take a look." I offered, extending my hand to look at the bruise. "It isn't bad. I'll go get you some ice."

"No, let me! I did the damage. I'll help with the fix up!" Kirin stated, hurrying off to get the ice.

Waiting for Kirin didn't take too long. She was a very speedy girl. It's funny; you'd swear she runs on pure lightning. Millions of volts surging through her body to make her extremely over-enthusiastic. "I'm back! I got the ice!" Kirin screamed, hopping back over to us.

I shook my head and smiled, "You have got to burn off that energy you have. How do you keep all of it? What do you do to get so hyper?"

"Oh, Shuyin." Kirin returned, waving the comment off.

I guess she thought I was kidding. In actuality, I really wondered just what gave her such life, such vibrance. Whatever it was, I guess it was a pretty good quality to have. You never really saw her down. Even yesterday, when she was peeved at the summoners, she didn't let that bother her all too much. Her comments, though angry, were made on the surface of her being. It left the delicate heart, her innocent soul safe from taking any permanent scars. If only I could have had that quality about myself. I probably wouldn't have snapped at Yunalesca or at Trista. Probably could have saved me a lot of trouble from my earlier years, as well.

"So what's the plan for today?" Kirin asked.

I shrugged and looked at Lenne. "Well, if it's all the same to you guys, I'd like to venture into the Calm Lands and find some fiends to defeat. Perhaps I'll find a new fayth. That would mean a new Aeon to add to my arsenal." Lenne suggested.

"Alright, that's fine with me. Although, if you find another Aeon like that Zaroth, I'd rather you not. We don't need more of those around." I replied, recalling the events of the creature's first and last summoning.

"I agree." Lenne nodded.

"Okay, I'll just pretend like I know what you guys are talking about so, yeah, I agree, too." Kirin chimed in, having never been told about what happened with that nightmare.

"Zaroth is a vampire. I received it when Shuyin and I defeated a crazed wolf fiend with piercing yellow eyes. When it became pyreflies, a dark fayth appeared, a cloaked man bearing a strange aura. It was completely black except for those two yellow eyes." Lenne recalled, telling Kirin about that incident with that Aeon. "I walked over to it and merged with it, like always, but, summoning this Aeon was a mistake."

She continued, "Zaroth, it wasn't like the other summons I've had. As soon as I finished summoning it, it walked towards me, staring into my eyes. It had a mesmeric gaze with those yellow eyes and I wasn't able to turn away. Zaroth had me frozen, paralyzed in its trance and, all the while, those same eyes were telling me its exact intentions as if taunting me."

I decided to speak at that point, "Yeah, that stupid Aeon wanted to bite her. Dumb vampire, it wanted to feed on its own summoner. I figured this Aeon was going to be a problem the minute I saw the fayth that came out of the fiend. No good could have come out of _that _fiend. Anyway, it was about to go in for her neck, so when it did, I stabbed it in the gut, through its side, with my sword."

"So you killed that Aeon, too?" Kirin asked.

"Yeah, but not by doing that. At the time, I thought I had killed it, but apparently stabbing it didn't do anything but make it angry." I said in response to her question.

"Yes, the creature was only vulnerable to a few attacks. One was decapitation. Also, piercing its heart would've killed it, as well. It was like Zaroth was a real vampire." Lenne added.

"Then, aren't they supposed to die from sunlight and fire, too? And doesn't it have to be a stake that pierces its heart?" Kirin asked, "It's just that I'm a big fan of vampire stories so I figured this guy was the same. You guys did say it was like a vampire, right?"

"Right, but she did say 'like' a vampire. Sunlight and fire weren't some of this Aeon's weak points. In any case, the thing smacked me a good ten yards away and went back for Lenne. The spell wasn't broken yet and Lenne was still completely defenseless. So, when I got back my footing, I ran at it and tackled it to the ground. Of course, doing that put me in a bad position since it meant that I was within biting distance. Zaroth gave up on Lenne and settled for me. The bite didn't hurt that much, but the sucking out of my blood, that hurt… a lot." I said, continuing the story, "Lenne was still in a trance, even after that, so I was on my own. I had to get the guy off me and it was hard, especially with its fangs anchored to my neck."

"What did you do?" Kirin asked me, feeling her own neck as if trying to stop the blood flow that I had endured before.

"I'm getting to that. It had my arms pinned down and used its weight to keep the rest of me immobilized while it drank. All I had were my feet so that's what I used. First, I struggled a little, annoying it enough to stop drinking and try to put me into a daze, too. The second it left its hold, I kneed it in the gut to get some distance between us, making sure to look away from its eyes. Then, since that distance gave me more space to counter, I curled up my legs and pushed the thing into the sky. When it started coming back down, I rolled to the side, took out my sword, and swung it back around so that when Zaroth was about to hit the ground again, my sword followed and cut off its head." I said, finishing.

Kirin wanted to tie up the loose ends so… "So, then Lenne was freed from the spell and called Zaroth back. Meanwhile, you put away your sword and tended to your wounded neck. Lenne probably gave you a Cura or two, am I right?"

"Yes, that's about all there is. Oh, but I used an X-Potion on him, not a Cura. My magic was used up after fighting the Zaroth Aeon's fiend." Lenne answered, smiling at the overzealous girl.

"Alright, but that doesn't mean that if Lenne gets another summon, it'll turn out to be like Zaroth. I mean she has a lot of other summons, right? None of them are wacko. You worry too much, Shuyin." Kirin said with a smile.

Then, she began to ponder about something. "What's the matter?" I asked her.

"Oh no, it's just that I was thinking if I had anything to do today. I don't so I'll come along with you guys and help hunt down some fiends." She smiled.

"That would be wonderful!" Lenne commented.

"Let me go grab my daggers!" Kirin chirped, running off to her room.

So that was the plan for the day. We were to go to the Calm Lands and search for fiends that might produce fayth for Lenne to summon.

We hopped into Kirin's hover-glyph and she drove us to the Calm Lands. "So, now what do you guys normally do?" Kirin asked when she put the hover on park.

"Well, we usually just start walking around in some direction and run into fiends as we go." I said, stretching as I left the vehicle. We started off in a southwestern direction.

"So, how long does it take to find a fiend?" Kirin asked.

"Don't worry, we'll find some soon enough." Lenne reassured.

After going on thirteen minutes, a big green wasp, a Ferunas fiend showed up.

"See, not long at all." I said, unsheathing my sword.

Lenne began to cast Firaga and Kirin took out her daggers. In the meantime, the wasp descended, trying to sting me with the needle on its butt.

"Nice try." I said, dodging the blow.

Lenne hit the fiend with her spell and it went reeling. This one wasn't strong. The fiend was beaten by one simple spell. "That was fast." Kirin complained as she saw the fiend's body disperse into pyreflies before she had a chance to use her weapons.

"Don't worry. We'll find stronger ones. You just have to be patient. It's not like they just pop out when you want them to." I explained, putting my sword back into its scabbard.

"Oh poopie." She muttered. I had to laugh a little at the remark.

We continued walking and reached a patch of land that was riddled with fiends. From what I could see, there were Amphibros Flan, Serpentam, Adamantoise, and Crustama fiends. "Well, ya wanna clear this entire patch?" I asked the two.

"Let's go get 'em!" Kirin yelled, charging in without Lenne and me.

"Kirin! Wait! You'll get hurt!" Lenne shouted.

"Aw, c'mon, Lennie! What could happen?" She chirped. That's when she bumped right into the Crustama's claw.

"Ooops." She muttered. I quickly ran in and deflected one of its claws from swiping my friend.

"Ease off, crabby!" I exclaimed. A corny pun I know, but I figured I'd use it anyway.

Lenne caught up to us and began to summon something. Meanwhile, while I was busy taking the crab head-on, Kirin went behind it and jabbed it a few times in the leg joints. Little by little, the fiend got unsteady and toppled to the floor. It had been too preoccupied with me to worry about a girl stabbing its legs. I took the Crustama's awkward position to my advantage and jumped up in the air, holding the sword above me. When I landed, the sword had cut the fiend clean in half. Unfortunately, Kirin's careless stunt attracted a lot of the other fiends in the area and they all came at us.

One of the Amphibros fiends jumped at me, trying to swallow my body into its gelatinous form. I held my sword to swipe it, but… "Shiva! Blizzara!" Lenne shouted.

A moment later, a tremendous wave of cold passed by me and hit the frog-shaped slime, instantly encasing it in ice. As soon as it hit the ground, I spun around and swung my sword horizontally, cutting the fiend's head right off. It, too, shattered once it hit the ground and the fiend exploded into pyreflies. Next up were a Serpentam, two Adamantoise, and one more Crustama fiend. First, Lenne ordered Shiva to use Blizzara again. The Aeon froze the crab and damaged the snake a little. Then, Kirin jumped in and poked both of the armored turtles' eyes out with her daggers. I followed suit by slashing the Serpentam across its face. Lastly, Lenne cast Thundaga on all of them and they crumbled to the floor, their bodies disintegrating into pyreflies. None of them were fayth hiding in the form of fiends, though, much to Kirin's chagrin.

"So, how do you know when a fiend is really a fayth?" Kirin asked.

"You really don't know. I guess it all depends on the level of the fayth. The Ifrit fayth that I uncovered for Lenne came from this black wolf thing that wasn't too hard to beat. However, the Zaroth one, which was also a wolf, was really hard. I had to dodge a few of its spastic swipes before it finally gave me an opening and I gashed it across its stomach." I explained.

Kirin thought for a moment, "Well, if Bahamut was that strong, I'm guessing the fiend for that one was really powerful."

"You have no idea. When we fought that one, Lenne had to summon Ifrit, Ixion, and Shiva to just weaken it enough to get it to the floor. It was an eagle fiend that kept soaring up high and then going into a dive for us. She had to have Ifrit burn its wings, Ixion shock it, and then Shiva finally got enough of the powder snow from her Heavenly Strike technique on it to freeze its talons to the ground so that we could actually attack it. Then, I stepped in and used one of my overdrives. I used my Spin Cut technique." I answered.

"What's that?" Kirin asked.

"It's his 'overdrive.' It's a type of attack he came up with that you can only use when you're very spirited. Spin Cut is one of his. He just flips in the air and slashes downward with the sword. It isn't one of his more inspired techniques." Lenne mused.

"I'll have you know that one took me a while to come up with!" I defended. Lenne just rolled her eyes.

"Ya know, Shuyin, it does sound a little lame." Kirin added, aiding Lenne's side.

"HEY!" I pouted. "You didn't say that before when it saved you from that Crustama." I stated in my technique's defense.

"Oh, that was it?" She asked.

"You bet it is!"

"Lenne's definitely right. That was a lame overdrive." She returned, frowning as the memory of my move replayed in her mind.

"WHAT!"

The two girls giggled at me before we were interrupted again. A group of five chocobos had decided to halt our discussion. By the looks of it, they were very territorial. "Time to show 'em what we're made of!" I exclaimed, positioning myself for battle.

Kirin decided to have a little fun and jumped on one of the birds. "Kirin! Be careful!" Lenne yelled. She was such a motherly woman.

I chose to try my luck at taming one again. I also leaped onto one of the yellow birds and tried to settle it down. Unfortunately for me, I didn't have that quality that Lenne had. Last time, all she had to do was move up to one of the birds and look at it in her special way. That was all it took to calm it. As for me, I was in for yet another bumpy ride. The thing went crazy on me again. Meanwhile, Kirin was leading the other chocobos around in a circle with the one she was riding on. How do those two do it? Lenne was able to calm it down and ride it smoothly. Kirin was able to parade them around in circles. Why was I the only one clinging onto the bird's neck while it tried desperately to throw me off? It had to be a girl thing.

"Hey! How are you doing that?" I asked Kirin while still bouncing around on my ride.

"It would probably help if you weren't strangling the poor thing!" She replied, riding her chocobo up to me.

I decided to ease off on grabbing the bird's neck and wouldn't you know it… it threw me right off. "Umph…" I grumbled as I hit the grass.

The other chocobos had stopped following Kirin and were looking at me menacingly for what I did to their friend. "Shuyin!" Lenne yelled, running over.

She brushed through the crowd of yellow feathers and offered her hand. When I got up, one of the birds pecked me on the head. I guess it was the one I nearly choked to death. "Ugh, I'm sorry!" I shouted, rubbing my head.

Lenne giggled and Kirin jumped on me from behind. "Shuyin Shuyin Shuyin. When will you learn? You can't just choke something and expect it to listen to you." She scolded, mocking my strategy of taming chocobos.

The herd moved on a while later and so did we. Lenne and Kirin were still giggling at the fact that I was scolded by one of the birds. "Hey! Look over there! It's a Pandalon fiend!" I exclaimed, faking enthusiasm to redirect their attention.

Together, we made our way to the area with the bear as it fed on the local plant life. When we neared, it looked at us with disinterest and went back to munching on some twigs it had snatched earlier. "Guess it doesn't want to fight." Kirin shrugged.

"Nah, fiends always wanna duke it out." I said, moving closer to the panda.

I drew my sword as I continued to back into the fiend, still looking in Kirin and Lenne's direction. Sadly, I misjudged my pacing and it suddenly hurled a massive paw at me and knocked me back a few feet. Then, it called over a few of its friends.

"Ow…" I mumbled, touching my still wounded chest.

It really didn't feel too great having a bear claw try to bat a homer with me. I took up my sword again and decided to use some of my adrenaline to execute another one of my overdrives. This time, I chose to use my Hit and Run technique. After all, that move was useful when there was more than one enemy and this was just the case. I ran up to one of the pandas, my speed swifter than usual, and swiped it diagonally on the chest with my sword. Then, I moved on and gashed another one in the stomach. I moved from fiend to fiend, stabbing, slashing, gutting, gashing, and cutting those bears to pieces. One by one, they fell to the ground and, after they were all kissing the dirt, erupted into a brilliant cloud of pyreflies, shrouding the three of us in its mist.

"So, Kirin, what do you think of that overdrive?" I asked her when the fog cleared.

Immediately, she raised both hands and applauded. "Yes, that's one of his more impressive maneuvers." Lenne mused.

"I'll have you know that all of my maneuvers are _impressive_, m'lady." I joked.

Kirin gave me that "Yeah, sure…" look while Lenne gave me the "Shuyin!" look. I laughed and started to move on again.

The three of us were really getting a lot of combat in, but I was sure that Kirin wanted to see a fayth and Lenne bond with that fayth. "Don't feel disappointed, Kirin. Lenne's almost got all the Aeons she needs so finding a fayth isn't going to be easy anymore if there are even any left to gain. The same fayth never appears twice for the same summoner, ya know." I explained.

"Well, I still wanted to see one!" Kirin replied, pouting a little. She was so cute when she acted immaturely.

"I see a few Boulder fiends. Let's go face them!" Lenne suggested.

We walked over to the golems and they attacked without hesitation. I leaped over one of them as it stampeded and kicked a second while I came down. It barely made the rock flinch. Kirin jumped onto one and grabbed onto its head with her legs. She then proceeded to hack away at the creature with her daggers, but it wasn't really doing too much damage. Meanwhile, Lenne cast Blizzaga on the golem I had jumped over and froze it in place in front of her, the creature petrified in a poise to strike my love. The golem I had kicked didn't feel a thing, but I did manage to back it up a bit with my momentum. I quickly did a somersault over the thing and landed behind it, kicking its leg with both of mine to trip it. I had to roll to my side after that move because it fell backwards and I'd have been a pancake if I didn't get out of the way. Finally, I leaped up and stabbed downwards, my metal embedding itself into the fiend's face, cracking it into several pieces. Then, I was to help Kirin, who was still stabbing the golem's head with no results except a few minor chips. I could see it was getting a little bored of her attempts and so I ran over to her to pry her off of the thing before it could take a swing at her. Lenne ended up casting Blizzaga on that one, too. That's when Kirin went back to the one she was fighting before and kicked it, crumbling it to icy pebbles.

"OWWIE!" She cried, having hurt her foot by kicking something that hard.

I smiled at her and went on to take out the first golem that Lenne had frozen. I leaped into the air and stomped right through the frozen-over stone hide. "So, what's next?" I asked, the creature's body tumbling apart behind me as I landed.

We chose to keep moving until we found a clearing. It had already been a few hours and by my guess, it was approaching noon. "Do you think we should maybe take a break now? I mean it's almost lunch time." I stated.

"Yea, I'm a little hungry." Kirin admitted, rubbing her stomach.

"Then let's!" Lenne chimed in, opening a bag she had brought with her.

She laid all of the contents on a rock that was jutting out from the grass and Kirin immediately grabbed a few brownies from the pile, hopping around after she took a bite. That girl needed to stay away from sugar. In about an hour, she'd be bouncing all around those fiends. That thought made me smile a little as I reached for a sandwich and handed it to Lenne. Then, I took one for myself and together, we munched on the goodies. Lenne's food always tasted good. She was quite the cook. Well, technically, the sandwich I was eating didn't require cooking, but still… And, those brownies Kirin was gobbling down did require some culinary skills and had to have tasted great, judging by Kirin's ecstasy.

"These brownies are awesome!" Kirin shouted.

See.

"I wonder if there are any more Aeons left for me to find." Lenne pondered aloud.

"I don't know. Maybe you've got them all. You do have a lot already." I suggested, taking another bite out of my sandwich.

"Yes, maybe. Something just tells me that I am missing at least one more." She responded, her voice drifting.

Kirin was too busy munching on her brownies to take part in the conversation, but I'm sure she would have wanted to say something like, "Well, we won't know that until we go out there and beat all of those fiends!" I chuckled to myself at the thought.

In about an hour, we had finished and were back on our feet. I stretched a little, yawned, and waited to see if either of the girls would be inspired to go a certain direction. "I don't know, but something is telling me to go there." Lenne muttered, pointing to a tree.

I was confused. "You're getting a feeling from a tree?"

Lenne shook her head. "No, it's not from the tree. It's from around that area with that tree." She corrected.

"Then, let's stop talking about a tree and go kick some butt already!" Kirin groaned, pulling at my arm and pushing Lenne's back in the foliage's direction.

"Okay, okay! We're going!" I said, following the direction my arm was being tugged.

Lenne giggled and went to jog up to the tree, Kirin dragging me to keep up. We walked up close to the tree and I climbed onto a few of the roots. "Well, I don't see anything around here." I muttered to my friends.

Kirin started inspecting the tree from branch to branch. She looked under just about all the leaves as if a fiend that small would turn out to be a fayth. "Kirin, I doubt a worm fiend is gonna get Lenne a summon." I joked.

She didn't pay attention, her mind totally oriented to the tree. It was how she usually was when she really wanted something. Meanwhile, Lenne closed her eyes and felt the breeze. She was scanning the area for whatever it was that called her to the tree. I had no idea what she was feeling for or how she was doing it, but whatever she was doing, it worked in the past. I looked back to Kirin.

"C'mon, Kirin. You aren't gonna find a super fiend by turning over those leaves." I said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Suddenly, the ground rumbled. "What was that?" The two of us asked, looking up.

"I think it's what I've been sensing." Lenne answered, opening her eyes.

From the distance, something was coming. The ground trembled more and more, but nothing could be seen. Finally, after the tremors kept getting louder and louder still, they just stopped like nothing was ever there.

"What happened?" I asked, searching for any tracks that could give away our enemy.

"I don't know, but I feel its presence. It's here, but I don't know where." Lenne stated, putting a finger to her chin.

Kirin was equally confused and demonstrated it by scratching her cheek.

"Well, I don't see…" I started, but couldn't finish. You see, something had swatted me back a few yards while I was trying to speak.

"SHUYIN!" The two of them screamed.

Whatever it was, it was still invisible. We were up against something powerful that we couldn't see!

"I knew it was out there!" Lenne shouted, starting a summon.

I got back to my feet and ran back to them. Kirin, in the meantime, dug around in her pouch and took out a few black orbs. "What are those?" I asked her.

"Watch and see!" She said hurling the orbs at the air.

They hit something and exploded, covering the area in front of us with a black powder. A bit of the powder settled on the ground, but most of it settled in mid-air, revealing part of the creature that we were up against.

"Kinok! Quake Burst!" Lenne commanded the lizard she had summoned.

The Aeon leaped up and pounded the ground with its tail. The earth cracked up to the creature and made it fall. I followed up by taking my sword and slashing at one of the powdered areas. I heard a howl of pain so I knew I did some damage. Unfortunately for me, it wasn't enough. The thing cast Firaga on me and sent me flying back again. However, this time, it left me "boiling with fury"… Yes, I realize how corny that was… I got back to my feet and ran at it again. Kirin was also on the attack. She jumped on part of the powdered area of the creature and started stabbing it with her daggers. Lenne was attacking with her spells, casting Waterga on another of the visible areas. Her goal was most likely to figure out which element it was weaker to. She had Kinok attack physically to keep the thing away from her while she performed her spells. I leaped onto the Aeon's back and pushed off it to land where I thought the thing's head was. Steadying myself on it, I stabbed downward, hoping that it would hurt it sufficiently enough to uncloak it. I was in luck. Several pyreflies flew out of the creature and its form was uncovered revealing the appearance of a powerful beast from the hilt of my blade. It looked like a bull cross scorpion thing, bull traits on its muscular hide and skull, a wicked scorpion stinger fitted to its backside, and supported on eight hoofed appendages. It was undoubtedly intimidating, but I had guessed right about stabbing it in the head so it didn't look that frightening anymore, what with a sharp slab of metal jutting out of its mouth. However, it still had some fight left in it as it used its scorpion tail to strike me in the back. I saw that one coming and jumped up, letting the beast impale itself with its own stinger. Kirin, got off the leg that she had been on and climbed up the face of the bull, jabbing its eyes out with her daggers. Lenne cast Blizzaga on it, aiming the spell on the part of its head where the stinger was still connected. It froze in place, which meant that the fiend would continually hurt itself while the three of us attacked.

I finally got enough stamina in me to use the strongest of my overdrives at the time, Force Rain. It was the move I had used to Bahamut's MegaFlare from the day before, freshly learned just for this occasion. I swung my sword around and collected energy from the surroundings. Once I had gathered enough energy, Kirin leaped off from the beast's head where she had still been stabbing mercilessly and gave me the heads up to shoot. I pointed my blade directly at the creature and fired off the energy. The beam sped towards it and blasted it apart. The charred remains fell to the ground and dispersed into pyreflies.

"Yay!" Kirin celebrated, jumping on Lenne in her ecstasy.

I smiled at them both and put a hand through my hair, taking a breather from the intense battle. Then, a thought occurred. If that fiend was that powerful, shouldn't it have been a fayth? I knew that not every strong fiend produced a fayth, but I thought we had earned it. I looked back at the departing pyreflies and found something else to wonder about. The pyreflies weren't leaving. They weren't going on to the Farplane. They just floated there as if preparing for another event. I didn't know what they were doing.

"Uh, Lenne? Why aren't those pyreflies disappearing?" I asked.

"OH!" She answered, showing me that she was as surprised as I was.

Then, it became clear. Those pyreflies weren't moving off in separate directions to enter the Farplane because the body they had formed before wasn't defeated just yet. They slowly grouped back together and formed into something even more menacing than the bull scorpion monstrosity from before…


	14. Chapter 13

_Chapter 13: The Taming of a Vampire_

The fiend had reconfigured into a crab-clawed, centaur and griffin mix of a monster. It had the legs of a centaur, embroidered in crab-like spines, two pairs of hawk wings, spined pincers for arms on the centaurian body, and still maintained its scorpion tail.

"Oh, great." I said, pulling my sword back up in a defensive position.

Kirin also got into a good fighting stance, daggers held out in front of her as a shield. That didn't intimidate the creature at all. All it did was give a roar as if laughing at our pathetic stand and squash Kinok under its hoofed feet.

"Kinok!" Lenne yelled, watching the pyreflies from her summon return to her.

"Oh, great…" I repeated, sarcasm seething in my breath while I redirected my attention back to its murderer.

I lunged at it and swung my sword to perhaps slice it in half. That obviously didn't work and it only had to shove a pincer in my face, blocking the attack. Kirin struck next, jumping onto that same claw and pushing off to get herself onto the centaur's back. Then, to get a secure grip on the creature, she embedded her daggers into its flesh and held on tight. The thing kept trying to grab her with its claws and stomping around to shake her off, but she was holding on for all it was worth, especially since the stabs had pierced flesh. I stepped in to help while Lenne summoned Ifrit. I kept swiping the fiend with my blade to distract it from getting Kirin off it. Lenne had Ifrit cast both its Fira spell and its special ability, Meteor Strike on it as well and also, used the Aeon's overdrive, HellFire, once it had the opening. All of that proved useless as I was batted away by a claw and Ifrit was crushed underneath a hoof before HellFire. Kirin soon followed when her strength finally gave out and she fell to the ground, landing on her butt.

"Kirin!" I shouted, running up to her and grabbing her body away from the fiend just before it could stomp on her, too, "Are you alright?" She nodded and I let her go to take another swing at the creature.

Lenne had summoned Ixion at that point and had it use its various electrical attacks to stun the beast into submission. That didn't work either. I ran at it, leaped from Ixion's shoulder, charged my sword with one of its currents while it cast Thundara on it, and slashed downward on the fiend. The electricity carried through my strike very nicely, coursing through the beast's frame, but that still didn't end the battle. With a howl of anger, hooves rose up to swat me a distance away while Ixion was enveloped in a powerful vice-grip by the creature's pincer.

"This is not working!" I muttered, seething as I stood back up again. My wound stung from being kicked in the chest by a horse's hoof, but I still had enough left in me to continue onward, veins pumped full of adrenaline.

I decided to take another approach after seeing all these failures. Instead of attacking head-on, I ran around in a circle, poking it every now and then to keep it on its toes. The stupid fiend wouldn't have the brains to see through my distraction while I kept up this misdirection. That allowed Lenne to go on and summon Valefor. It was her weakest Aeon, but I guessed she was saving her stronger summons for later, as a trump card.

"Valefor, use Sonic Wings! Free Ixion from that fiend!" Lenne ordered. The Aeon began flapping its wings faster and harder, sending strong gusts at the fiend.

It didn't even flinch at those razor-like winds. All it did was "laugh", or do what seemed like laughing, and snapped Ixion in two. "Ixion! Valefor, try Blizzara on its wings!" Lenne commanded.

The bird cast the spell, freezing the fiend's wings, but even that wasn't going to cut it. Instead, it simply threw the fading carcass of Ixion into me, its claw following with a swipe, knocking me back again, then flew up to the summoned beast to bat it down with the other claw, flapping off the frost as it did so. Valefor went tumbling down to the ground and was also crushed under the fiend's weight as it landed. It had discovered my tactic and had used it against us! I wasn't about to let it get the upper hand like that. As soon as Valefor was gone, I took the opportunity of its landing and jumped onto its horned head. I grabbed one horn and stabbed down with my sword. The blade pierced its skull and went out its throat as it roared in agony. I started twisting the saber around and around, trying to get the creature to its knees at the very least. It wasn't a successful ploy. The fiend flew up in a mad rage, thrashing about in the sky to get rid of its unwanted passenger. I held tightly onto the hilt of my sword and its horn to keep myself from being thrown, but I wasn't going to last much longer.

Suddenly, just as my strength was giving, a burst of ice hit the creature in its side, causing it to plummet back to the ground. I leaped off, yanking my sword out from the side of its mouth like I had done to Trista's Bahamut. A cry of pain went loose in the wind and, with a tremor, the fiend collapsed, whining in its defeat..

"So, that's that." I said, gasping for breath to compensate my fatigue.

"I'm not so sure Shuyin." Kirin replied, yelping at the sight of the fiend.

It was getting up again, still not admitting defeat. Lenne had Shiva try to freeze it once more, but the goddess of ice got too close and was caught by the sting of its tail. Giving a shriek of pain, it, too, was destroyed, slumping slowly to its slayer's feet.

Kirin growled at the sight of Shiva's demise, angrily storming towards the creature. It tried to repeat its actions onto her, but she was far too agile, leaping onto the tail and riding it all the way above the monster as it pulled back from the whip. Hanging over the fiend, she held her daggers to her sides, falling into a back flip. As she fell, her daggers glowed and began to create copies of themselves along the path of her descent. After that, Kirin landed and the copies of her weapons solidified into shadow figures, aiming at the fiend. When Kirin gathered herself from her move, they struck, hitting the fiend in multiple points.

"Wow!" Lenne and I both uttered.

"Kirin, I think you just learned an overdrive." I added.

"Huh? You think so? I don't even know what I was doing really. It just sort of… happened." She replied.

At the moment, the beast was tamed, reeling from her amazing display of grace and power, "Yea, that's how it worked for me, too. That's why I decided to give them such a unique name. You can't just invent those kinds of abilities on a whim." I thought about it for a little while and made a suggestion to her about the name, "Dagger Shower… I think that suits it."

"Dagger Shower? I think I like the sound of that." Kirin replied, accepting my name for her amazing creation.

"You know, I could use some help with this thing." Lenne called over to us, refocusing our attention.

She had summoned something I'd never seen before. It appeared to be a larger, three-headed version of the Ifrit fiend, but its neck was a wreath of serpents. "Lennie! Is that another fiend!" Kirin squealed in horror.

"No, this is Cerebrus… Oh, that's right, I never showed you the Aeons I discovered in Kilika and Besaid when you had to attend to that business of yours." She said.

Meanwhile, as she had requested, I aided Cerebrus and attacked the fiend. While I did so, she continued to explain, filling the gap where we were separated, "When you went to that airship, I searched around the Kilika forest and a strange Fire Elemental appeared. I defeated it and it happened to be a fayth, Cerebrus' fayth. I found a few others that Shuyin doesn't know about either."

As I fought, I eavesdropped on this information, mentally noting that Odin and Bahamut weren't her remaining Aeons as I'd thought before. Of course, with this much of a distraction, Cerebrus wasn't even getting any commands so it fell quite easily following Lenne's story. Also, if it had been hoping I'd cover for it while Lenne explained to Kirin, it was in for a rude awakening as I had been paying more attention to them than the battle.

"Dammit… Lenne, we need another Aeon out here!" I told her.

"Oh no! I was sidetracked! I'm sorry!" With that, she summoned again, but this time, I knew the Aeon. It was Odin, the king of the Norse lands.

Unfortunately, the fiend didn't wait to meet its new adversary and rushed into Odin as it appeared, toppling the knight to the ground. Odin managed to stagger back to its feet, but only for a little while as that centaur rammed its horned head straight into its side, sheering its body clean in two.

"Oh, that's just perfect. Now, Odin's gone too." I muttered sarcastically.

Lenne frowned but went in for another summoning. The fiend was already out of patience, though I wouldn't have had too much patience for waiting on something to kill me either. Kirin and I ran interference so she could have the time to bring forth her next beast. However, it appeared we didn't even have to for this one. When Lenne summoned it, the Aeon immediately used its overdrive, encircling all three of us in a massive wave of water.

"Leviathan, Tidal Wave now!" Lenne commanded.

Meanwhile, the two of us were stuck wondering just exactly how we were going to escape being hit by her new Aeon's attack. About a split-second before the ocean rained down on all of us, bubbles appeared around each of us, acting as barriers against the attack. "What happened?" Kirin asked. What indeed… I had no idea, offering up a puzzled look as I turned to Lenne for the answer.

"Leviathan's magic is protecting us from Tidal Wave. It can't fully control the water it uses for this attack because water is too strong of an element to begin with, even for an Aeon to manipulate. I found Leviathan around the time you killed the unicorn fiend for Ixion. I think it was right before I received Bahamut." She explained.

I would have wondered how many more Aeons she had left that I didn't know about, but Leviathan finished its move and yet the fiend was still alive. Not even being drowned in a whirlpool could kill this thing. I was starting to lose my own patience. Right after Leviathan released us from its protective bubbles, I dashed towards the creature and put a long gash across its side. Following up, the tail came down from my assault and I took hold of it, letting the beast pull it back with me as its passenger. As with Kirin, I released my hold of it once the momentum could keep me airborne for a time, waiting for my next ride to come.

"Leviathan, help Shuyin!" Leviathan swooped in and caught me as I fell, the fiend quickly making up the distance.

The two of them went head-to-head, but what I was attempting would tip the balance of this fight… hopefully. What I wanted was to run along the backside of the beast, slicing open its spine with my sword. If I could do that, its death would come in no time. If Leviathan had been able to hold it in battle longer, I would've done just that, however, as I reached Leviathan's head, the fiend grew wise of my plan and cast Thundaga on the both of us, the electrical element being the water serpent's greatest weakness. It faltered and I winced at the temporary paralysis the attack had dealt me. At such high altitudes, my weakened form couldn't hold steady, especially with Leviathan's convulsions of pain, and therefore, I fell from the skies, slipping off the Aeon.

"Shuyin!" I slightly made out Lenne and Kirin's frantic screams, the cold air slowly revitalizing me from the paralysis.

The effects completely wore off about a minute from the ground, not giving me enough time to prepare a landing. Suddenly, Leviathan's form plummeted next to mine, its eyes fixed onto my own. With that, it gave a final cry of death, creating one last bubble of protection on me before it exploded into pyreflies. I landed softly, but with a heavy weight bearing down on my mind. None of our attacks were finishing this thing off. Lenne was down to Bahamut if she didn't have any other Aeons and it'd been such an exhausting battle already.

"Oh, no! That's almost all my Aeons! I only have Titan and Bahamut left!" Lenne yelled.

"Use them! We haven't got any other choice!" I told her, somewhat elated that she had another buffer prior to Bahamut.

She nodded, summoning her Aeon, a sledge-wielding ogre born from sand and bedrock, "Titan, Tremor when it lands!"

Of course, the centaur never landed. No, that would be too easy. Instead, it dove into Titan, grabbing it with its pincers and carrying it back into the air, away from its element. Moments later, a cry was heard and dust scattered in the path that the fiend had flown in. Soon after that, it returned, landing in front of us heavily, pronouncing its dominance.

Lenne backed away slowly once it finished its taunting and I realized why. The beast was eyeing her, realizing at last that she was the one who brought forth those annoyances to its presence. I had to distract it and quickly. As it had diverted its attention to Lenne, I was free to run up to it and stab it in the gut, pulling the sword upwards to add to my blow. It screamed in agony from my assault and lashed out at me with its pincer, showing its resilience. This time, though, I held strong. I let the claws hit. I was allowing Lenne the time she needed to summon the ultimate Aeon. Bahamut couldn't be defeated, right? I had managed to best the king of dragons, but that was just Trista's Bahamut and it wasn't really a well-trained one after all. Lenne's was a force to be reckoned with.

She quickly seized the opportunity I handed her to bring forth the dragon and cast Curaga to return to me some of my fading health. Pummeling me hadn't been a smart idea. The fiend had to deal with Bahamut because of attacking me.

"Too bad. You concentrated on the wrong target! Now, the tables have turned…" I mused, feeding my own taunts to the fiend. It seemed unswayed by the presence of the king of dragons, but I figured that Bahamut could easily handle it.

"Bahamut! MegaFlare!" Lenne commanded. Bahamut planted itself onto the ground and absorbed the surrounding energies into its mouth.

While it took in power for its ultimate attack, I helped keep the fiend from stopping it by slashing it over and over in every part of its body with a little Hit and Run action. The ploy worked as it kept trying to hit me again and again, but to no avail thanks to my agile overdrive. Kirin was also helping out, jabbing it every now and then when it was distracted by me and sticking makeshift grenades into the holes we'd made in its hide. We had the thing spinning around in circles by the time Bahamut was ready to fire, signaled by a ferocious roar. The stream sped toward the fiend and hit it head-on, roasting the poor sucker… or so I thought.

After the blast had finished and the smoke had cleared, the only damage done to the creature was a gaping hole in its right pincer. All Bahamut did to it was injure its crushing arm? How was that possible? Bahamut was the strongest of all the Aeons, right? I didn't have too much time to think about that as it hurled its surviving claw at my head. Instinctively, I performed a back flip and got away from its strike just as Kirin jumped on it again, trying to blind it by jabbing it in the eyes. Meanwhile, Lenne cast her strongest spell, at the time, Holy, but it seemed to actually help the fiend instead of harm it.

The beast roared in anger and wrenched Kirin off with a clamp of a pincer and tossed her away. "Kirin!" I screamed in horror, jumping to catch her.

When I had her safely in my arms, she grabbed onto my shirt tightly, shivering in my embrace. She must have been scared to death with a thing like that grabbing her. The last time it grabbed something, Ixion was torn into two halves, crushed in the vice. What if that thing had done that to Kirin?.

"It's okay, Kirin. You're safe, now." I told her, fury boiling in my veins. How dare it…

When I landed, I gently placed her on the ground before going back to fight, heightened vigor gained by what it could have done to Kirin. But... If Bahamut's strongest attack wasn't enough to kill it, we were in trouble. By that time, the dragon Aeon had unanchored itself from the ground and was in flight once more. Both of the monsters traded blows in the air and it seemed like it would be a tie until the griffin-centaur managed to tear Bahamut's wing clean off causing it to fall to the ground. Dust spread everywhere when the giant beast hit and visibility was completely covered in shadow.

After the debris settled, I saw that Bahamut was underneath the creature and the two had their arms clasped with one another. Both were rendered static in their lockup. This was my chance. While it was busy dealing with Lenne's Aeon, I'd be able to hack away at it. I ran up to its scorpion tail and started slashing away, the creature too busy to realize what I was doing. After a while, I began to make progress, wielding the weapon with both hands to add more force into my strikes. The consecutive hits I was landing developed into a substantial gash across the width of its tail. It was working. If only Bahamut could have distracted it longer, I might have actually cut it right off. However, the beast became wise to my plan and also realized its vantage point. It used its tail and impaled it into Bahamut's neck, then gored it through the chest on its horns. That was enough to rip my favorite Aeon into three pieces. As the strongest of the Aeons died, we suddenly found ourselves without any more options.

"Now what? We just lost Bahamut! What else can we do? Nothing seems to have any drastic effect on this thing!" I shouted to Lenne, beginning to lose hope.

"I don't know. After that Holy, my magic is drained. I don't think we can win this one. This creature is just too powerful." She replied, desperation filling her tone.

Kirin had already given up, seeing as how she was still sitting on the ground where I left her, knees hugged to her chest. She was too scared, Lenne didn't know what to do, and all of our attacks were doing nearly nothing to the thing. What could we do?

An idea hit me, but I wished it hadn't. Lenne did still have one more Aeon left. However, I wasn't sure we should ever try something like that. I decided to ignore it even if it might have worked. The fact was that it was just too risky to attempt. I lunged at the fiend again, fighting my doubt. Frustration overcoming my soul, I began slashing at it over and over. Frantically, my blade scanned it, combing the body to test for any spot of weakness, praying to catch vulnerability. I guess I was hoping for a miracle. Too bad, miracles come at a price. Over and over, I was thrown back and Lenne's various curative spells did nothing but siphon her magic further, sucking it dry. She hadn't anything left, I hadn't anything left, and Kirin was still unable to fight. We had no hope remaining except...

"Lenne…" I began, "I know it's a big risk, and it probably won't help anyway… but I don't see a way around it anymore. This thing just won't settle down and die. We can't kill it on our own and we only have one other card to play…"

Lenne nodded shakily. She knew what I was talking about. "I'll summon Zaroth." She stated, beginning the summon.

I ran back into combat with a roar of anxiety and hatred. With my weapon held out in front of me, I struck over and over once again, not slowing down for a second, though my fatigue was bearing heavily down on my weakening body. Maybe we had to use the vampire, but maybe we didn't. If I could do enough damage and get enough into me to use my Force Rain or something else, maybe the Aeon wouldn't be necessary. I defeated a summoner before. I beat Lord Zaon with three huge gash wounds decorating my chest. What could stop me from winning this time, especially when the other solution could cost me my Lenne? Finally, I saw an improvement, the faintest glimmer of silver lining to this ridiculous struggle. The claw that Bahamut had punctured a hole into before was deteriorating. With each successful hit by my blade, more of the claw was falling off. If I could take that out and finish what I started with the tail, there was a much greater chance the tide of this battle would turn around. I struck harder and more fiercely. I didn't want Lenne to have to go through what happened the last time that vampire was out. She could've died. At last, I tore through the claw as I saw its chunks litter the floor. Exhausted as I was, this was giving me more confidence.

I glanced back at Lenne and realized that Zaroth had already been summoned. Again it was entrancing her. Again it was trying to drain the life out of her. I was so stupid! What could have made me think that stupid thing would obey this time? Then, my mind thought up a plan. What if I forced the Aeon to fight on our side? Any offense would provoke this monster to counter, right? I sought to bait the vampire. While, making sure to dodge the strikes by the beast, I whistled over to Zaroth and pointed at my neck, tapping the same place it had bitten me before.

As the fiend swung the remaining claw at me, I jumped on it, flipped forward and landed right in front of Zaroth. "Remember me? Remember this?" I said, plunging my blade into its side again.

It growled in fury, swiping at me with its sharp-nailed hand. My plan was working. I'd let the vampire duke it out with the fiend soon enough. Backing away, I led the vampire closer and closer to the creature and leaped up in the air just in time to let it be hit by the pincer. The Aeon went tumbling to my right as I landed back on the ground, running to it again, the fiend following me. As Zaroth stood, I noticed that it wasn't focused on me anymore. It wanted revenge on the massive enemy steadily approaching from behind. All I had to do was stand in place and let the oncoming beast take a swing at me. The vampire wouldn't let anything happen that might cause me harm. That would be allowing its enemy the satisfaction of taking out its chief opponent and it couldn't let that come to pass. When the claw did come at me again, Zaroth caught it and started cracking it with its hands. After chopping off the other claw, the creature lost its full power. Without the other claw to aid it, the second was vulnerable in restraint. Zaroth began to dig deep holes into it and I chose to help out, as well. With my sword, I struck every area that seemed to be weakening. By the time the fiend realized to use its tail, we had already rendered the claw useless.

The vampire could handle it from there. I needed to check up on Lenne. "Are you okay?" I asked, running to where she knelt.

The trance was broken from Zaroth's distraction by the beast. "Yes, I'm fine. How did you get it to help?" Lenne asked, obviously unaware of my actions.

"It was simple. I had the fiend knock some sense into it." I joked.

"Seriously, Shuyin. What did you do?" Lenne asked, not realizing that, though I was joking, that was really what I had done.

"I turned them against each other. First, I got that creature to throw a claw at me. Then, I dodged it and let it hit Zaroth. It made it forget all about me." I said. I picked Lenne back up to her feet.

"Well, I think we should go help it. Look!" She suggested, pointing to where the two behemoths were brawling. The Aeon was underneath the creature, like Bahamut had been, trying to keep its hoof from stomping on it.

"Let's get back in there." I said and then ran over to Kirin, "That means you, too!" I grabbed her and picked her up.

She just looked at me in a daze. "Oh, c'mon, Kirin! Get over it! It grabbed you and threw you. Now, it doesn't even have those weapons to do that anymore. We're winning, Kirin. Can't you see? Let's get in there and finish this!" I pushed.

"Shu…yin…" She replied weakly, but I wasn't about to give up.

"C'MON! Kirin! What happened to 'let's go kick some butt'?" I exclaimed, trying to raise her confidence again.

She took in a few breaths, most likely to gather herself, but eventually…. "You're right! What am I so afraid of? I'm still alive, right? Let's go kick some ugly crabby, horsy, birdie butt!" She exclaimed, pushing a brave fist in the air. She charged towards the fiend with a "battle cry," and started stabbing it and gashing it again. I shook my head and followed.

We had successfully gotten Lenne's newly recruited Aeon out from under the monster and it looked at me with a new expression. It no longer saw me as food or an adversary. It looked upon me as an ally. That's what we were. Aeons and humans were allies in the fight against the darkness. It was then that I understood what Yu Yevon was saying. I didn't have to worry about Lenne because she and the Aeons she summoned were partners and they'd always protect one another, regardless of appearances.

We all stormed it, Kirin ramming her daggers into its side, Zaroth biting its neck, Lenne casting her spells once Kirin gave us all a Megalixir treatment, and me dealing out a big slash on its tail. Finally, I managed to sever it and pretty much made the thing defenseless. All it had left were its horns and with Zaroth on its head, sucking its life away, they were rendered useless, as well. It was then that I gained enough stamina to perform the Force Rain. I jumped back a bit, pointing my weapon in the air and began to harness the scattered particles of energy within the battlefield. The beast must have noticed the large concentration of energy building up in the distance, because it began frantically struggling to get the Aeon off it. It rammed its head into the ground and pinned Zaroth to it, pushing as hard as possible to flatten our ally. However, as with my fight against the vampire, it wasn't going to fall unless it was stabbed in the heart or decapitated. I continued to charge my saber as the creature grew even more desperate. Within Zaroth still on it, it flew up into the sky, shaking its head madly. At last, it managed to loosen the vampire's grip on its face and gored it in the neck with one horn, severing its head from its body with a strong bat of its wings. Zaroth's two broken pieces plummeted from the sky and dispersed into pyreflies before they hit the ground.

Free from the Aeon's grasp, the beast dove at me, trying to stop me from executing my overdrive. It got to me far too late, though, as the sword finished powering up and I unleashed its full fury upon my foe. At such a close range, the creature was ripped apart by the beam, no pincers left to shield it from the blast. After I was finished, the body of the fiend fell limp to the floor, erupting into a blanket of pyreflies. Those little creatures, again, didn't disperse. I feared they would reform into yet another beast, but as luck would have it…

The pyreflies formed into a woman dressed in a white cloak. Surrounding her was a brilliant light exuding a pure tranquility only fiction could dream of.

"A fayth!" Lenne and I yelled at the same time.

"That's a fayth?" Kirin asked, scratching her cheek in confusion.

"Yea, that's a fayth alright. So, you finally got what you wanted." I answered. Kirin stared at the woman as she walked up to Lenne.

"You have come a long way, m'lady." She told her, "And you have worthy friends."

The fayth smiled over at Kirin and me before continuing, "Times are progressing, lives renewing. Let my light hold you forever unabated in its resolve." I watched as the woman became pyreflies yet again, circling around my Lenne, lifting her upward, and entering her heart.

They would join the rest of her allies, Lenne's summons. "So, you've got yet another Aeon. I wonder what this one will be." I said to her as she descended back to the ground.

"Let's have a look!" She suggested, performing the summoning again.

The Aeon that was called forth looked amazing. It was an angel, pure and simple, and she wore Yunalesca-like garments in shimmering white. Armed with a bow and daggers strapped to her legs, the seraph had plenty of potentially fatal powers hidden beneath the innocent shroud.

"So, what do you call yourself?" Lenne asked her.

"I am Elumina! I shall protect you, Lady Lenne, and all those you hold dear to your heart." She replied, elegantly.

"Wow, this is so awesome!" Kirin chirped, jumping up and down while clapping.

Lenne looked at her newest creation in confusion, "Why did you produce such a horrifying fiend? You appear in no way similar to that monstrosity that you created to be your shell."

"I know. I had to be sure that you were a worthy summoner, one deserving and of a steadfast virtuosity to follow and aid. Defeating the chimera beast relinquished all doubts I had about your capabilities and your purpose." Elumina responded, "I am forever in your service, High Summoner Lenne."

"It wasn't just me, though. I wouldn't have survived the trial without Shuyin and Kirin there." Lenne offered, extending her hand over to us.

"They are your allies. The worthiness of a summoner is not found solely through the summoner's own skills, but rather the combined strengths of the summoner's talents and true inner being. A lesser summoner would not have survived my test. You are pure of heart, reflected by the faith your friends have in you, and that is why I have chosen you as my master." The Aeon refuted.

"Yea, Lennie! You're the greatest summoner that I've ever known!" Kirin chimed in.

"Lennie?" I asked. She had said the same thing before, "Trying out a new nickname for her?"

"Uh huh! Did ya like it?" Kirin asked.

"I think it's just wonderful, Kirin. Thank you." Lenne replied.

"Yea, it sounds like something you'd say, anyway." I mused.

"Humph!" She pouted, making all of us laugh.

"Remember though, she's High Summoner Lennie now." I corrected, "So, what can you do, Elumina?" I asked the summon.

"I am able to perform any of the spells that the summoner I serve has learned. I primarily use my archery in combat, however, these daggers are another resort should I require their use." She said, pointing to the weapons hooked to straps on her legs, "Furthermore, I have the ability to manipulate the direction of light in order to shield my friends from the enemy."

"Oh, so that's how you were invisible before." I said.

"Yes, I was testing you to see if you were able to feel my presence without your sight and you passed my test. In battle, one's foe may not always present itself. One must have foresight so as to prevent ambush and betrayal. The three of you are all very capable warriors and I believe you will never be clouded by the darkness." She stated.

"Well, I'll call that move the Celestial Shroud." I said.

"Celestial Shroud it is!" Lenne agreed.

"Very well. I am also capable of using an intense concentration of light to efface my opponents. However, I am only capable of using that maneuver when I have enough energy to amass the Orb of Purification." Elumina continued.

"So that's your overdrive! Let's see. What can we name it? How 'bout… Force Flare!" Kirin exclaimed, "It sounds a lot like Bahamut's MegaFlare, but also like Shuyin's Force Rain."

"Uh… I dunno about that. Come up with something else!" I suggested.

"Uh, how about MegaRain!" She asked.

"That sounds… strange." Lenne said.

"Okay then! Erm… I know! How about… Nova Burst!" Kirin yelled.

"Now that's a name." I approved, nodding in a serious manner.

Kirin giggled and punched me in the chest playfully, "You're always picking on me!" Again, that didn't feed too good.

Lenne laughed a little and said, "Well, it's settled. Elumina, your overdrive is the Nova Burst!"

"Acknowledged." She stated simply, her voice completely monotonous. Aeons, they're always so serious.

We walked on and found a few more fiends, this time Raver crabs like Lenne and I fought by the Moonflow. "So, Elumina, care to show us a little demonstration of your might?" I asked.

"Understood. I shall eradicate these fiends." She stated plainly, hovering over to them. With one shot of her arrows, the fiends were beaten. The pyreflies floated from their bodies and embarked on a journey to the Farplane.

"Ugh, we didn't even get to see anything." Kirin pouted.

We moved on and saw a group of Salamandra, reptilian fiends. "Elumina, use your overdrive." Lenne suggested.

"Very well. I believe I have enough power to use that technique." She said.

Elumina put her hands over her head and charged the air in between. A white glow formed and swirled into a gigantic ball of energy and grew steadily. When it seemed like it would engulf our entire area, beams shot out of it in all directions, some striking the fiends. After that attack, all that was left of them was a big scorch mark in the dirt.

"Now, that's a demonstration!" I exclaimed.

"We should probably head home now, right?" Kirin asked.

"Yes, we probably should be going. It has been quite a long day." Lenne agreed.

"Then, let's get going!" I stated, walking off in the direction I knew we had left the hover in. GPS is a wonderful thing, is it not?

Lenne recalled Elumina and the two women caught up to me soon after. Together, we found Kirin's vehicle and went home. Home as in Kirin's house, anyway.

When we got there, Kirin ran to take a shower. I plopped myself facedown on the couch and groaned at my exhaustion. Meanwhile, Lenne sat next to me and stroked my hair gently.

"Lenne…" I whispered.

"Shh… Rest. You've been through a lot." She said.

"So have you." I added, sighing at her touch.

She laughed slightly and said, "You did more running and jumping and fighting today than either of us."

"That's because I only have my sword and physical fighting skills. You can cast spells. They take a lot out of ya, too, right?" I suggested, moving slightly to look into her beautiful eyes.

"Well, casting Firaga isn't as difficult as some of your moves." She mused.

After a little while, I heard Kirin coming back downstairs, humming a familiar tune. "You really like that song, huh?" I mumbled to her.

"Yup, that one is my favorite of all of Lenne's hits!" Kirin chirped, patting me on my butt.

"Aw, cut that out." I grumbled, getting back onto my feet, "You only like that song because it was the one you were listening to before that game when you scored for the first time."

"That's not completely true, but that's not important right now. We should get some sleep. I know it's early, but I'm pooped. I think we should just turn in now." She said.

"Hey, no complaints here. I'm all for going to bed at, what time is it, eight! Wow, it actually is later than I expected. Well, now I really have no problem getting to bed." I said in a joking manner, noting that exhaustion does make the day seem longer than it actually had been.

Early as it was, this day was a tiresome day. I nearly fell asleep while I was in the shower. The only thing that kept me on my feet was Kirin and Lenne's voices down the hall. Kirin was trying to get Lenne to get in on a duet with her while she continued to hum that song, Lenne's "Can't Lose" single. I still have no clue where she puts that energy of hers. I finished my shower and brushed my teeth, also nearly falling asleep while doing so.

As soon as I left the bathroom, Kirin jumped on me and said, "Goodnight, Shuyin!" hopping back off to get into her room.

Lenne smiled at me, leaning forward to give me a kiss, "Goodnight, Shuyin."

"Goodnight…" I replied softly, heading off to my room and falling asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.


	15. Chapter 14

_Chapter 14: Bizarre Encounters_

I woke up rather early and, therefore, chose to stay in bed for a while, staring up at the ceiling. Yesterday had been extremely eventful, but I still never figured out that dream nor the prior one. I had to figure out what those dreams meant. There had to be something behind them. At least, that was the thought that agreed with me.

"Why do you always wake up so early?" Kirin yelled at me. She had come in to give me her "special" brand of rise and shine only to find disappointment.

"Sorry, Kirin. Guess I just can't wait for a wake-up call." I told her while shrugging, slowly rising from my bed.

"Oh, poopie!" She pouted, crossing her arms.

"Kirin, stop it with the 'poopies.'" I said, "You're stretching the age limit on those remarks."

"So anyway, wanna go kick some more fiend butt? I mean I've really got nothing better to do." She asked, "Besides, Lenne might find another fayth!"

"Well, I guess if she wants to…" I started.

"I'm not up for it. Yesterday was exciting enough. I'd like to take a break." Lenne stated, walking in with a slight yawn.

Hmm, I could use this to meet my ends… "In that case, I've got somewhere I'd like to check out." I told them.

The reaction was expectable. "Where?" They asked simultaneously.

The only response I chose to give them was, "Bevelle…" I didn't want them to worry over my dreams.

I got ready immediately, said my goodbyes, and then I was off before the questions could bombard me. I walked back to my place and got into my hover. I was pretty sure Lenne and Kirin didn't understand why I'd leave so abruptly, and why would they, but I just had to find out why I had those two dreams. It didn't make any sense. However, since one thing had remained constant in both dreams, I figured that was the key to solving the meaning behind them. That thing… was Areth. He had been the one to shoot me in my first dream. He was the one who halted me from getting to Lenne which led to my getting shot again in the second. It had to have something to do with him. Ever since that blitzball game we had, I've noticed strange things about him. That smirk he gave me right after the championship kept up in the dreams; it had to be something. I had a working theory that he purposely sent me those dreams. However, I couldn't even begin to explain how that would be possible. The final decision: I'd just let the answers come directly from his mouth.

When I got to Bevelle, the people were all tense, as with the last time I had seen them. Just like all the previous visits from before, none of the citizens paid any mind to my presence, but the looks in their faces told me that something was off. In their eyes, I found worry, fear, and clouds blanketing truth. Bevelle had been shady since the first time I set foot in the city, but this time… well, let's leave it at something was off. I wandered around, hoping to find Areth talking a stroll. Unfortunately, Bevelle was a rather massive city and the only thing I really knew about Areth was that he was on the official city blitz team. That meant that the only place I knew to find him was at the Bevelle stadium. If he wasn't there, I'd probably never find him.

Getting to the stadium wasn't too difficult. I had played in Bevelle before so I knew where it was. My only problem was dodging the crowd of edgy people. _And I thought Zanarkand was bad. _When I got to the stadium, to my good fortune, the door was unlocked. The stadium was open, which meant that Areth, hopefully, was in there training. I walked to the main dome. The Sphere Pool wasn't up blatantly telling me that I was wrong. Areth wasn't around. How would I find him if he wasn't in the only location in Bevelle I knew of to look for him?

Suddenly, as if to lift my spirits, the floor in the center of the dome opened up and the pool apparatus was brought forth. I was pleased at the sight to say the least. If luck was with me, it was Areth who had activated it and would arrive any minute to make use. I waited beside the pool patiently as it filled, biding my time for the arrival of whomever it was that wanted to train.

Unfortunately for me, the blitzer that arrived wasn't the blitzer I wanted to see. Instead, the guy that I saw approaching me had jet black hair to Areth's brown, tanned skin like mine, and he wore shades to cover up his eyes. His hair was pulled back a bit and spiked up in the front, which was still a little Areth-like according to the dream's visual.

"You're Tidus, right?" He asked as he got to the railing I was leaning against.

"Yea, how'd you know?" I replied, asking a question of my own.

He snickered a bit before answering, "Bro, Areth's obsessed with you. That's how I know. He won't shut up about you."

I was taken aback a bit. "He is? He does? Why do you think he is?" Yes, I was frantic for answers.

"Look Tidus, Areth has been talking about beating you since the first championship you won for the Abes." The guy responded.

I thought for a moment and then decided to delve deeper into this bit of news, asking, "You mean the one against the Goers? Is that why he used the Jecht Shot in our game?"

"Yea, the one with the Goers. You know, he went to that game. When he saw you do your father's move, that Jecht Shot or whatever, he came home furious. He's always thought of that technique as being a cheap shot. He used it in our game just to mock you and give you a taste of your own invincible technique. You should've guessed that part." He explained, "You should have seen him. Day in and day out, he'd practice it. Then, when the big game came, he was so psyched about kicking your ass with it and…"

"And then I blocked it. I guess that musta sent him over the top." I added.

"No kidding! He hasn't been the same for a while now. Man, if only you could've put your ego aside that one game… Ah, but then again, it was the championship and the eleventh straight, too, right? Oh well… By the way, the name's Kai." He said, extending his hand and also lightening the mood of the conversation through proper introduction.

"Nice to meet you, Kai." I said shaking his hand, "Glad to finally have a name to identify the body with." I laughed a little and he smiled back.

I decided to find out a few more answers from this Jowile whom I had befriended. Maybe Areth was the key, but hey, his friend would suffice if I couldn't find him. I asked, "That look you guys gave me after the game…"

"I didn't. They did, Areth's little cheering section. I never liked those guys personally, but when you want a strong blitz team, there's none better. Anyway, they're the one's talking about how horrible you are to buddy buddy with Areth. Leeches…" Kai defended, cutting me off in the process.

"Even so, what was that about?" I said to finish my question.

"I'm sorry Tidus, I'm Areth's best friend and…" He started to say, but I cut him off.

I knew what he was gonna say anyway. "And he's sworn you to secrecy."

"No, it's not like that at all. I'm his best friend, but he's changed into someone even I don't know. He hasn't been the same since that game. I don't know what could have gotten into him, but he's not his old cheerful self anymore. But… I'm sure Areth has got something in mind for you… and the dork squad isn't helping your case, either. Be careful around them." Kai elaborated, giving me a warning not too far from my dreams.

Areth was the one that killed me in both those dreams after all. If Kai was telling me the truth, Areth might just be capable of murder. I was left with a decision: Should I still go and talk to Areth? Or, should I head home and devise a plan to keep myself and Lenne safe from said madman-in-training? Kai seemed to be telling me the truth and he did seem terrified about his friend's transformation.

I shook my mind of any doubt and asked where I could find Areth. Kai stared at me with wide eyes, "Are you insane? Didn't you hear what I said? You think seeing you is going to help him at all? I just told you he's changed for the worse because of you and you want to feed the flames?"

He finished with a gasp and I continued with, "No, I'm not insane and I'm aware of all that you just stated, but it can't hinder me right now. I just need to talk to him. So I ask you again, where can I find Areth?"

I needed to confront my future murderer. I needed to see just how crazy he had become and if that meant he could be capable of killing Lenne like he did in my first dream. I couldn't let that happen. Besides, if he was going to go mad at my presence and tear out my heart or something to that effect, I'd still have my sword to protect me. If Areth wanted my death, he'd have to work for it.

Kai shook his head, but chose to help me, telling me that, "Areth's probably gonna be at home or at the P.T.N. Here, I'll give you the addresses and point you in the right direction."

I took the addresses after he was finished putting them on a sheet of autograph paper, thanked my new comrade, and left to find Areth.

"Be careful alright?" Kai called out, waving goodbye, "I don't want Areth to get worse than he already is." I gave him a reassuring smile and kept going on my way.

I wondered just how unstable Areth had become. To think, he'd been angry with me all these years. I guess it was my fault that he's the way Kai described him to be. If I hadn't acted so cocky in my games in order to keep up that Tidus personality of mine, he wouldn't have had a reason to hate me. Then, I could have saved Kai all the trouble of worrying. Tidus was everything that I didn't want to be. Creating him was to mock all those shallow people who never paid any mind to me until I became the super blitzer. In a way, I made two lives for myself. One was that of Tidus the cocky, sex-loving blitz star, partying the night away and spoiling himself with his riches. The other was just me, Shuyin, the outcast who's still trying to discover himself. I didn't care about my pride, my honor, or anything else that could boost my status in Zanarkand. That was Tidus… I hate Tidus…

I continued on, getting closer to Areth's home. As I walked, I had to squeeze through the citizens that had added to the previous crowd. Again, they all seemed extremely tense. It was like a bomb was coming and they were all too late to catch the last hover-glide out and were awaiting their doom. Brushing past one of them would provoke a gasp that would domino into several panicked yelps until they realized that it was only me trying to get through. Then, they'd give me dirty looks while I tried to apologize, usually ending up with me bumping into someone else. Basically, a simple task of going from point A to point B turned into a riot and complete chaos would follow it. Oh, what a headache it was. What could possibly have all these people so shaken, I wondered. What was the big secret?

At long last, I reached Areth's house. It was just as big as mine only, it seemed a little too golden and far too over-decorated to have housed a dilettante like me. This guy was extravagant and he really knew how to use his obscene amount of money. I rang his doorbell and waited. Hopefully, this wasn't a bad idea. From what Kai told me about his status, the guy was off his rocker and getting worse for wear by the minute. However, I needed to understand my dreams and, seeing how he was in both, he'd be able to help, even if not directly.

After waiting for a few minutes and ringing his bell around three more times, I decided that he wasn't home and instead, was at the other place Kai had told me to look. I headed off… back into that annoying crowd of easily excitable city-folk. I rolled my eyes at the thought of having to go through that again. Somewhere in the middle of my "arduous" journey, I just had to stop. I quickly made my way to a small alley to take a breather.

"Man that's rough. Wonder what's got these people so chilled. You'd never find that kind of attitude in Zanarkand." I muttered to myself, "Ugh, this is worse than a sell-out special at the mall!" A couple of minutes and a few groans of displeasure later, I was ready to start again.

"Tidus?" A voice called to me from behind, putting a hand on my shoulder. I turned and saw a somewhat familiar face.

Green hair, yellow eyes, and fairly dark skin, along with a carefree grin greeted me as I tried to identify the person. "Hey, you're Jurama's friend, right?" I asked.

"Yea, it's me, Damusa. I thought it was you. So, whatcha doin' here in Bevelle?" He asked casually.

"Oh, I'm just trying to find someone." I replied vaguely.

"Oh? Who? Maybe I can help?" Damusa offered, "Just got in a shipment over in these parts so I'm free for the day." Damusa was an airship pilot who carried cargo from city to city.

"Well, unless you know an Areth, star blitzer of the Bevelle Jowiles, I don't think you'd be able to." I said with a slight bit of sarcasm evident in my voice, though I wasn't trying to sound rude. It was just stressful to be in Bevelle.

My friend shook his head, saying, "Sorry man, I don't really know much about blitzball."

"That's okay. I…" I started to say.

"No wait a second, Tidus. I might not know blitzball, but I can tell faces real well. You have to if you're gonna remember all the clients I've had. Tell me what this Areth looks like." He suggested, truly wanting to help as was his benevolent and good-willed character.

Memories from those dreams popped into my head. Seeing Areth's horrific smirk, that evil grin, made me shake ever so slightly. I wiped my mind of that specific part of Areth's face and described the blitzer to Damusa, enlisting the aid of a friend. "Areth's got shoulder-length brown hair and when it's wet, it looks like it's been gelled back. He's got red eyes with a thin ring of black mixed into the iris and his skin is kinda pale." I illustrated.

"Hey, um, why do you only know what his hairstyle is when its wet?" He asked me.

"You see, the only time I really saw his hair was at the championship game a while back. Does that even matter?" I admitted.

"Well, you might have noticed a lot of brunettes in town." Damusa returned, pointing out a few in the crowd to exemplify.

"Uh… the only other time I've ever seen him was outside Bevelle a few days back, but he was a bit away and… why would I care what hairstyle he has!" And aside from that, the only times I 'saw' Areth were in those two dreams. In those dreams, his hair was spiked slightly at two points on either side of his head. However, dreams are inaccurate so I didn't want to give him false information.

"Alright then. I'll seek him out for ya." Damusa replied with a smile, regaining my attention.

"Thanks, Damu." I replied before we both headed back into the crowd.

Together, we'd be able to find Areth much more quickly. Although, that would only come in handy if Areth wasn't at the P.T.N. Getting to that place proved rather difficult, though. The two of us got lost about five different times. In such a psychotic mass, it got really strenuous to push our way through and stay on the right course, especially when you barely knew where you were going. It wasn't too fun to realize you've gone the wrong way and have to push right back out of that crowd. At long last, we reached the building, an hour coming. We looked around inside, this one building seeming to be the only place people acted normally. After a while, there was no sign of Areth in any of the booths. At last, we threw in the towel and left the complex.

"Hey, isn't that the guy you're lookin' for?" Damusa asked, pointing to a guy with brown hair, pale skin, and wearing a pair of shades.

Could it be? "I think you might be right. I'll go check it out." I responded, making my way over to who, if luck would have it, was Areth.

The man looked up at me and grinned, his expression similar yet undeniably different from the one haunting my dreams. "Tidus…" He sneered, letting his voice drift as he pushed off the wall and walked over to me.

"Areth?" I greeted with a questioning tone.

"Nope. Sorry. Better luck next time, eh?" He replied, brushing past me, hitting into my shoulder as he went.

I didn't let him get too far. Roughly, I grasped his arm and pulled him to face me. "Don't piss me off alright? Who are you if you aren't Areth? Where is he?" I growled at the look-a-like. This guy was the decoy from the championship.

"Tidus, don't worry who I am. Worry what my people here in Bevelle will do to you if you try anything here." He stated with another sneer, "Areth… don't you think you've done enough to him? Do you think you could let go of my arm? Or do I have to mash up that pretty face of yours?"

I smirked at him, giving him a confused look to replace that stupid sneer. Before he could ask me what I was smiling about, a fist tore through the air and landed itself promptly on the guy's cheek. Another hand grabbed the collar of his shirt before he could properly deal with the impact.

"Had enough? Now tell me who you are… and also where I can find Areth!" I roared, gripping the collar tighter and threatening to make another attack. The maneuver re-injured my chest, but at that point, I didn't really care. I wanted answers and if I had to beat this guy senseless to do it, I would.

"I'm not gonna tell you anything, you filth! I'm never gonna tell you nothing, dipshit." He choked out, following his words by spitting in my face.

That did it. Of course, I know how much of a bad temper I had, so I knew I was gonna put him in the hospital. The unfortunate thing was that he didn't realize it. With a sadistic glare, I informed him of his folly.

Over and over, I beat him in the face and kneed him in the gut, never letting go of that collar. Because of that, he wasn't allowed to fall or to even take in the hits I was landing. Finally, after I decided that I had pummeled him enough, I let go of the collar… and thus let him fall to the floor. Was I trying to play the good guy? Nah… Instead, I grabbed him by the back of his shirt and his belt, lifted him above my head, and then slammed him into the pavement flat on the arc of his neck. After his body crushed and folded over his head, he started to convulse, blood spewing out of his mouth and nose rapidly. I smirked at the sight and continued to glare at the wretch. I was enjoying the pain I'd caused. Now that I think about it, I really shouldn't have taken pleasure in causing pain, even to those who asked for it. That was an undesirable character trait, just another side of my personality, I guess. In any case, during that period of my life, I merely watched the body of the look-a-like continue to twitch, the blood then reaching my boots. All the while, I just kept staring at him, glimmering ecstasy in my foul actions.

Damusa rushed over and checked to see if the man still had a pulse. "That's not cool, Tidus! You coulda killed him. Hello? Tidus? Are you there?" He scolded, awakening the 'nicer' me.

"Damusa? Oh no, what have I done?" I stammered, seeing my bloodstained boots.

Damusa looked at me with a little fear before going back to tend to the guy's wounds. "I'm gonna call a med-hover to take him to the hospital. You should probably get out of here. There weren't too many people around to see you trounce this guy, but I'm sure you wouldn't want to stick around for the medical team to get here. It'll be pretty difficult to explain why you beat this guy up to this degree. I mean, even if we lied and said it was in self-defense, how would we explain why you don't have a scratch on you and why this guy has a broken neck?" Damusa pointed out.

I nodded in agreement and left, saying, "Take care of him. I'm gonna go find Areth." Damusa only turned back to the look-a-like with a small shake of his head.

I walked around, pushing through a few people when necessary. The crowd had thinned down a bit since the incident with that blitzer, seeing as the day was nearing its twilight, so I found it easier to maneuver around them. Thankfully, I'd wasted so much time searching that the incident with Areth's decoy went by unnoticed. At this point, I started feeling the aftereffects of fighting when I was still healing a deep wound. It hit me all at once, a tremendous jolt to my chest. That was to inform me that I had gone too far. It wasn't bad enough that, yesterday, I went and fought fiends and then had my ass pounded in by that super-fiend so that it could grant Lenne the power of Elumina, then I had to go and beat up some idiot who didn't even matter. My body was not in appreciation of my loving treatment. I forced myself to ignore the pain and continued on. Of course, I had no idea where I was going and having a stinging blood-soaked chest wasn't making things easier. I mean, I only knew of two places Areth could've been. He had been at neither.

I walked for about one more minute before the pain in my chest hurt so bad that it caused me to stumble in my step, sinking me to my knees. I felt crippled by the intensity; I'd pushed too far. I didn't rest up and heal properly the day before and this day, my body couldn't take the strain. I struggled to regain my balance and in doing so, I ended up bumping into someone.

When I finally got back my footing, promising myself that the next day would be spent in bed rest, I noticed an old man kneeling on the ground, trying to get back to his feet with the help of a cane. "Oh sorry!" I said, quickly going to the aid of the old one.

"Thank you, young man." He said, with a gentle pat to my shoulder, slowly steadying himself. I picked him up gently and checked to make sure he wasn't injured.

"Are you okay? I'm really sorry for pushing you to the ground." I said with remorse.

"Yes yes, I'll live. Do not worry about this old and withering oak. I still have a few years in me, huh." He said with a light chuckle. I smiled weakly at him.

"You, I've seen you somewhere before. I can't remember it, though. Tell me, what is your name, young man?" He asked, squinting to identify my face.

"Oh, I'm Ti… Shuyin." I said in response to his question. I didn't want to tell him I was Tidus. He didn't deserve that.

"Ah, Shuyin my boy. You are tense. For a man of your age, that's quite a burden you place upon your shoulders. Enjoy life; don't waste it. You'll regret it when you get to my age. Trust me; I know from experience." He stated.

"How do you know I'm not enjoying my life? I'll have you know that I am always enjoying my life." I retorted in my defense.

"No no no, you misunderstand. I do not mean that you are not enjoying your life, but that you have things on your mind that keep you from living carefree, the way a man like you should live." He corrected, "Forgive me for choosing the wrong word. I am not the sharp-minded buck I used to be, I'm afraid."

"Uh, wait a minute… I'm sorry, I don't understand. What do I have on my mind that's preventing my happiness?" I asked, pondering whether he knew, through his ageless wisdom, my plight.

He didn't respond. Instead, he seemed to be lost in thought. Argh, why was I wasting my time talking to him anyway? I needed to find Areth and talk to him about…

"Dreams… One should think on dreams. Dreams are what some call premonitions, vague hints toward a possible future. Of course, nowadays, those people are mostly the self-proclaimed telepaths who want to take your money, am I right?" The old man began, chuckling a bit when he finished.

"Huh? So think on dreams if you want to talk to a fortune teller?" I asked, still not understanding what this man was yammering about.

He wasn't making any sense. I guess that with his old age, he just feels the need to talk to someone. Guess the elderly get lonely seeing as how no one really wants to spend time with them, especially in a fast day and age like this. I guessed Areth could wait. After all, he would still be around later on, but this man might not.

"Young man, you live a troubled life. I am glad that you also seem to have something to help you." He said, tapping my chest lightly and smiling.

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" I asked him again. Wow, he acted like he knew my entire life story one minute, then hands me meaningless jargon the next.

"Your heart. Young people these days. Why must they be so oblivious? Shuyin, your heart has found someone; I can tell." He explained. How did he know that! He didn't look like a mind reader. Was he just that experienced?

He chuckled some more, no doubt from the blank and dumb stare I was offering him, and tapped me on the shoulder, saying, "Shuyin, listen to my words carefully. You've had dreams, unpleasant dreams. You must think on them, but do not let them get in the way of your heart. One's heart always knows best, my boy. Do not abandon it." He coughed a little and continued, "And dreams always have a meaning behind them. It is your job to figure out what that meaning is… Ah, but do not forget to live your life. It is very important that you find out what the dreams you have mean and also equally important to live out your life. Such is the plight of the living, eh?" He stopped.

What was he talking about? If he wanted me to find out my dreams, I was doing the right thing. However, how do I make it important and also not make it my primary objective above going about a peaceful existence? That doesn't even make sense. To go about my life, I needed to first get down to the bottom of this "premonition" business.

"I remember a time long ago. You see, I had a dream, as well. In my dream, I saw myself as a ghost, an unsent of all things. Can you imagine? Hoo hoo… I wandered around Spira searching for the history of our world as I've always done. Anyway, in this dream, I met a lovely young lady. What did I say her name was?" He started again, but forgot part of his story, stalling him.

"Ah, it doesn't matter. Anyway, that dream means that at some point in the future, after I have passed, I will be made to stay on Spira. You see? Look for the meaning. It can be that obvious." He stated with a point to the sky.

I stared blankly at him. So he had a dream where he was an unsent talking to a girl. That didn't really help me out. Besides, how was I to know that that really was going to happen to him? In my opinion, although dreams do hold some value, it couldn't really tell you your fate.

"That is what you must do… Ah, life's journey… always filled with mystery and suspense… Hmm, would you like some krunea juice?" He asked, finishing his lecture.

"Uh, no thanks." I slowly replied. Krunea juice tasted horrible. I wondered just how people could actually drink that stuff.

"Oh, you young folk. You think that everything has to have that disgusting sugary taste. Well, I'm having a bottle. I hope I don't over-burden my kidneys, though. I can't seem to hold as much water as I used to." The man complained. I smiled a little. One day, I'd be that old man. I remember hoping I'd be in better shape than he was then.

"Well, I believe that you have someplace you need to go. Go on, then. Off with you. You have to do what you have to do, I suppose." He said.

"Oh, okay then. Goodbye?" I returned, "Take care of yourself…"

"My gratitude to you, Shuyin. Hmm, well that as they say is that… Fare-thee-well." He offered, making a slight bow before heading off.

Following up, I turned and began walking off slowly myself, unsure of the situation. Did he want me to seek out Areth? Well, seemed either that or he wanted me to go home, have fun with my life, and totally disregard all of my troubles.

I decided that perhaps I really should just quit this search and go home. Besides, Kai had already cautioned me against going through with my investigation. Areth was unstable and therefore dangerous. Even if I knew to defend myself, bullets weren't something I could fight against with my sword. Both dreams had lead to that end result. Besides, I needed my rest. This much stress wasn't going to heal me faster.

Nodding my head in agreement with this new idea, I began to walk to my hover parked right outside Bevelle. I'd just live my life the normal way, no worrying about these stupid dreams and taking problems as they come.

"Tidus…?" A smooth voice purred from a distance.

I turned around to face the source of that voice and saw the pale face that I had been searching for this entire day. Areth approached me, his brown hair gone, replaced by a stained silver, pulled back into a ponytail. Veins were embossed onto his deathly white forehead and looked ready to erupt. His eyes were bloodshot, making his already red eyes appear almost demonic.

"Areth?" I asked, slightly held back at his disheveled appearance. Aside from his perfectly smooth hair, accented by two spiked regions on either side of his head, he did not look well.

"Ah, Tidus, how pleasant it is to see you again." He said, his voice floating over unnaturally soft as he reached over and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Uh, yea, I guess. How've you been?" I asked him, extremely cautious knowing that at any moment, he could pull out a gun on me and I'd be totally defenseless. At such a close range, I'd be shot before my hand could even brush the hilt of my sword.

"I'm just swell. My life has been going according to my wishes. I'm very pleased. How have you been, Tidus?" The blitzer replied, straightening my already well-made collar.

"Uh, I'm okay. Nothing too drastic either way." I quickly stated, trying to find an opening for me to gain some distance.

Areth let go of my collar and walked away a few feet. "You know, though life has taken a favorable turn, I've been losing some sleep. Been receiving dreams, strange vision, of the future that I can't quite shake." He said as he gazed into the center of the city, "Have you had such dreams, Tidus?"

Should I have said anything to him? Should I have admitted the truth? After all, maybe we were in the same boat. "No, not really. Not that I can remember. What kind of dreams have you had?" I asked him, choosing to lie about my own life.

"Oh, nothing unexpected. As I said, my life's been going the way I planned." He smoothly answered, giving me that smirk again.

Obviously, I felt a bit nervous. Kai told me he was not the old Areth and, with his bloodshot eyes and those veins popping out of his head, it seemed very logical to make such a conclusion. "You know, I'm really happy to see you again." He started again, staring holes into my face.

"Uh, why's that?" I asked him, reaching behind my back for my blade just in case. Thoughts played in my head, countless films portrayed by our conversation. He played the part of a sly killer, baiting in his prey, in this case, me.

"It's just that, seeing you makes me feel joy. I don't know. Perhaps you retain a level of infatuation for me." He replied, walking toward me again.

I smiled nervously, but figured I'd feed him some classic Tidus words, "Of course you're infatuated. Everybody loves Tidus."

I finished with a shrug as he began to chuckle lightly, putting both hands on my shoulders and saying, "I guess we'll just see about that in the future, eh? I wish you luck… Tidus…" The way he said that name felt off and made me feel uneasy. Then, Areth bent his head in and kissed me on the forehead before leaving very abruptly.

I was left in the empty alley a confused individual. My search for answers, or at least clues, only created more mysteries and more questions. Areth did seem like the type that could kill, but his behavior was strange. That conversation… I wondered what he was trying to convey. Half of him seemed… suffice it to say "awkward" while other parts were decorated with hidden malice. To kill me or love me, what did he want? And would I figure it out before time ran out?


	16. Chapter 15

_Chapter 15: Changing the Times_

A couple of months passed since speaking to Areth in Bevelle. Currently, tension was mounting in the air. Even in Zanarkand, government officials began nervously dodging questions regarding our neighboring city. Furthermore, Zanarkand's security network, Red Alert, had been getting additional funds for our defense program. There must have been something wrong with Bevelle. My thought was that there was some sort of leadership issue over there, like the current one was under fire or something. Hey, if becoming the next leader of Bevelle was Areth's desire, his life really would be going the right way, no? Of course, our defense grid would need to be up in case violence broke out in the commotion.

"Shuyin! Give me a hand with this fiend, will ya?" Kirin yelled at me for zoning out.

"Coming!" I yelled back over, flipping in the air and slashing downward like I had done with the unsent in the cave and the fiend from before. My Spin Cut, I called it.

"Oh, poopie! You couldn't have done a better overdrive?" My companion whined.

I rolled my eyes as the Adamantoise disintegrated. A few pyreflies brushed through my hair and across my arms on their way to the Farplane. My mind wandered again, thoughts about my dream resurfacing, the fear of losing my place in paradise to be more specific.

"Whatcha been thinkin' about, Shuyin?" She asked.

I decided not to tell her what I had theorized, instead telling her that, "I'm just thinking about the next season of blitz."

"We'll whomp any team like always." She replied, showing me that my ploy worked. "You sure you…"

"You think so? I hear the Al Bhed Psyches are buffing up. They just got Tappa on their team. He's former captain of their gamma division, an army boy. From what I hear, he's really fast and sharp. Also, there was that rookie from last season, Naru, and she's been drilling like crazy since we beat them last season." I informed my fellow Abe.

Kirin thought for a moment. My guess was that she was recalling the past games we've had. She probably wanted to think on just how much Naru could've improved. "I guess she could be a threat, but who cares? We've got you and Rothel. With your Jecht Shot and Rothel's 'strategic genius', like he calls it, we can't lose!" She insisted.

"Heh, I guess, but…"

Our conversation was interrupted when a voice yelled over to us. "Hey! Are you the guy that beat Trista's Aeons?" She shouted, running towards us.

I had no idea who she was, but she wore this strangely decorated black robe and, seeing how she knew about Trista, I assumed she was another one of those summoners.

"Yea, I'm Tidus. Who are you?" I called back, asking for her identity once she reached us.

"Oh, sorry. I'm Larea. I'm one of the summoners trained, personally, by Lady Yunalesca." She gloated, "I just wanted to find the 'Aeon killer' and see if I could test my mantle against him."

I got a bit angered by that comment. What was I? I'm not target practice for Aeons. This girl thought she could just waltz on by and see if she could be as much of a match as Trista wasn't. Of all the… wait… I realized something at that point. I beat Trista and if she thought that was impressive, her skills must not be that honed yet. I'd take her on and teach her how to be humble.

"Fine, I accept your challenge." I replied with a smile.

"Shu… Tidus!" Kirin yelled.

I gave my friend a look that said that I knew what I was getting myself into.

"Ooh! Just… be careful!"

"Right! Now I'll show you my Bahamut!" Larea said, summoning her Aeon. Bahamut erupted into being with a great roar, causing Kirin to gasp.

"Don't worry. I'm a lot stronger now." I reassured.

Bahamut spread its wings and dove at me, a speed probably twice that of Trista's. However, my abilities had vastly improved since a Bahamut last sank its claws into my flesh, therefore, I had enough in me to leap over this Aeon's grasp without fail. After I landed, it came at me again. I was ready to jump once more, but at the last second, it flared its wings and sent four massive orbs of energy at me.

"Didn't expect Impulse I see…" The summoner gloated.

At that time, I really hoped Lenne would have come back. A Cura would have been well appreciated. On this day, she had left us to partake in a meeting with the big wigs by order of Yu Yevon.

I screamed as the attack's effects sank in. I felt like I had plunged myself into the sun. The light burned my skin, but I couldn't give in. I was better than this. I couldn't lose to one of these conceited brats. They'd just keep getting bigger egos and step on everyone else more so than they already had. My victory over Trista shut them up somewhat, what with being the lowly blitzer that kicked a summoner's ass. Using all my will, I held up my sword and pulled Impulse's force into it. Since the energy around me was how I amassed the power of the Force Rain, this ball of energy searing me made the perfect source. All of the harm was sucked into my blade and I was free from the pain, though my clothes exuded smoke to show what I had been through. I leapt into the air and shot the energy right back down at Bahamut.

"No, Bahamut! Fly!" Larea shrieked, watching in disbelief the destruction of her summoned creature.

"Now who was unsuspecting? Didn't see my overdrive coming now did ya?" I breathed with a smirk.

"W-what's an overdrive?" She asked, the pyreflies of her Aeon returning to her.

Kirin jumped over to her in her usual over-zealous way and told her that, "It's an attack you do only when you have enough pep in ya! His Force Rain was the thing he just used. Spread the word about overdrives! It's gonna be the new word around town and it'll be a hit! Wanna know what mine are?"

The summoner was expectedly taken aback by the excited blonde girl jumping up and down in front of her. "Uh, okay?" She stammered.

"Well, first, I love mixing things so I call it my Magic Mix! I know, it isn't really magic and I don't really need too much spunk in me to pull it off, but…" And after a half hour, "And my second overdrive, Dagger Shower, is this one where I jump up high with my daggers. Then, they do this thing and make lots more daggers and they fall on the baddies. I don't really know how that works, but…" And after another half hour, "My third overdrive is Blitz Strike. See, I'm a blitzball player on our Abes team. You might have heard of me! Anyway, this overdrive is a great one that compliments that. I have this special blitz ball that has blades stored in it that can pop out with the right touch and I kick it at the baddies with my special blitz technique. I know, you probably think it's a little tacky to use blitz moves for overdrives, but" And yet another half hour… "And that's about it! I still haven't come up with a fourth, but neither did Tidus, so I'm in the clear!" The girl finally finished and took a breather.

"Well, that was…" Larea started to say.

"… long?" I finished. Larea giggled and Kirin looked at me with a pout.

"Hehe, it sounds like fun! Let's see… Well, summoners have a special summon called the Grand Summon. It requires a lot of focus and stamina. I guess that'll be my overdrive." The summoner replied.

"Great! That's cool. The Grand Summon. What does it do?" Kirin asked.

"When you summon the Aeon, it will be at its full potential. Then, it can do things like, say if it was my Bahamut, he'd be able to use MegaFlare on the spot." Larea explained.

"Wow, that's cool. That means that even Aeons have overdrives!" The blonde girl exclaimed.

"I guess you're right. Bahamut has MegaFlare, Ifrit has HellFire, Ixion has Thor's Hammer, Shiva has Diamond Dust, Kinok has Grasp of Gaia, and Valefor has Energy Blast." Larea informed.

"And Elumina has Nova Burst!" Kirin chimed in.

Larea was confused. "Elumina?"

"She's an Aeon that Lenne got a couple of months back. I guess each summoner, aside from the basic five and Bahamut, gets their own unique branch of Aeons. Anyway, she got Elumina about two months ago." I stated.

"Oh, I wasn't aware that Lenne was such a rising summoner. The others don't talk about her much." She said.

"Lenne is the bestest summoner I know!" Kirin defended.

I stopped paying attention after that. My attention was returned to Bevelle. I seriously couldn't shake the dread that loomed over me about Areth. I still felt that he was going to do what I had dreamt he would do. He had changed his hair accordingly, at least. It was spiked at those two points. Perhaps though, I should have thought more about what that blue-eyed creature hovering behind Areth was. Certainly, some things about the second dream were more vivid. There were a lot more people. I knew that Bevelle, Zanarkand, and the Farplane were involved. Of course, the first dream, the one with me in that cage was informative, also, but I didn't want to believe the direct message. Did Areth capture me and kill Lenne just to get at me? If Kai was right, Areth would be capable of such action. Then again, if what Areth's actions toward me that day were that of his candid self, he'd want me in that cage for something marginally worse.

Even so, I didn't understand why I was staring at the city in the distance. I mean it wasn't like the answer was right there for me to read or anything. In any case, I continued to stare at it while Kirin and Larea conversed. When would my fate be revealed to me?

Suddenly, I saw some smoke coming from the city. I had no idea what that was from, but whatever it was couldn't be good. "Hey guys! Look!" I said, pointing over to the smoke.

"What do you think it is?" Both of them responded in sync.

I started walking off and the both of them got the message to follow if they wanted to. We got to Bevelle just in time to hear gunfire and a lot of yelling.

"What's going on in there?" I asked no one in particular.

"Well, we won't find out just standing here like this!" Kirin whined, grabbing both my and Larea's arm and dragging us into Bevelle.

When we were near the area where I had seen the smoke originate, I noticed a decent sized crowd had gathered. "Wonder what's going on." Kirin asked, trying to peer over a few shoulders.

Seeing a beam jutting out from a building I said, "I know. Be right back!" I jumped, latching my hands onto the beam and swinging myself around, flipping onto the roof swiftly. Looking down at the crowd, I saw that they were looking at someone being arrested by Bevelle guards.

"Hey! Lemme go! It was only a little fun, ya know! Lighten up, man!" The man shouted.

Upon closer observation, I realized who they were arresting. "Rothel!" I yelled from my high perch.

That guy was bound to get caught one day. Of course, this day wouldn't be that day so long as I could help it. I pushed off of the roof and plummeted to the ground. While I was airborne, I unsheathed my sword and swung the flat side of it down on a guard knocking him out cold.

"Tidus? Hey bro! Ya here ta save me?" Rothel asked as I smacked another guard in the face.

"That and maybe somethin' else, too!" I shouted at him, eyes glaring, "C'mon, let's get you out of here!"

Nobody was paying attention to me anymore since Kirin and Larea were providing a good distraction. The prior started throwing stuff from her bag, putting dust into the air. Meanwhile, Larea cast Waterga at the dust, creating instant icicles that rained down on the people. Finally, I spun around, swinging the flat side of my blade horizontally and taking out all the surrounding guards. I grabbed Rothel by the collar of his shirt and got him out of there. With officers bearing down on us, all four of us ran as quickly as we could until we were at least a mile from the main gate and onto neutral Calm Land ground.

"You are unbelievable!" I screamed at my best friend.

"Thas what all the ladies tell me." He returned, still playing out his amusement.

"Rothel, I'm serious!"

"Bro, I was only havin' a little fun! Them suits from Bevelle are way too serious, ya know?" Rothel defended, shrugging like nothing happened.

I grunted my disapproval, giving up this quarrel. You know, if the three of us hadn't gotten there, who knows what they would've done to him.

"Rothel! You're lucky to be alive!" Kirin scolded.

"Yea yea, sure. Hey! Who's the girl? That the girl Tidus here's datin'?" He asked.

"Huh? Oh! That's Larea! We just met her!" Kirin chirped, completely forgetting that she was supposed to be angry with the man.

"Hey there." Rothel said to the summoner, his voice coming out in that cocky and confident manner he usually displayed in front of women he wanted to… Moving along.

"Um, hello?" Larea shyly greeted.

I rolled my eyes at the event. If anything, she'd be yet another one nighter for the guy, one of many. Rothel seriously needed to learn commitment. Too bad for Kumi and Larea.

I wondered how the man could live like that though. He'd slept with a countless number of girls already. Didn't that get old? I mean, okay, so a virgin isn't someone to be guessing at these things, but I really didn't understand the point of doing it that many times. Besides, with all those girlfriends, where was the relationship? I'll bet he can't even remember half their names.

"Uh guys? Soldiers comin' from Bevelle, that ain't good, right?" Rothel asked sarcastically, pointing at about ten heavily armed men that were approaching us.

"Oh, this is just great." I grumbled, filling my voice with as much sarcasm as I could. I slowly approached them, a hand cautiously placed on my sword.

"Zanarkand scum!" They immediately grumbled as I arrived.

"Look, I'm sorry my friend here screwed with you, but he's my best friend and I won't let anything happen to him. If you'd like, I can repay any of the damages he's done." With that, I handed one of my gil cards to them and backed away to my friends.

They didn't seem to accept my good will, instead crumbling the card and continuing their march. "You may either surrender or die!"

"What?" We all stammered shock.

Since we didn't comply, their guns aimed at us. "Hey! Stop this! I gave you reparations on account of my friend. What more do you want?" I tried to say in deterrence.

"Infantry ready!" Our eyes went wide as stunned gasps escaped our mouths.

This was bad. I had a sword. Kirin had daggers and powder bombs. Larea had spells and summons that would take a bit longer than a speeding bullet to cast and Rothel didn't even have a weapon. What were we going to do? A few seconds was all it would take and we'd all be dead. Was that what my dream was about? I'd be shot by Bevelle, hence Areth? That did explain why Lenne would be crying and why I couldn't comfort her. How can a dead guy comfort a living girl? Doom echoed in the air.

Thankfully, this day would not be our last. Pyreflies appeared and gathered together, forming the body of my mentor in combat, Takuma. As the shots were fired, Takuma readied his weapon, deflecting each one as it came, sending them all right back at the one who fired them. When the last of the soldiers fell, he turned to me.

"You have one last lesson you must learn." He stated, moving past me, "It would seem that the time to learn is now." With a wave of his arm, his pyreflies began swarming the area, a gesture for me to follow. I jogged to him, leaving my friends to wonder what was going on.

When I entered the blanket of pyreflies, my vision suddenly went white. I wondered where I was. "This is the white space. I have brought you here to teach you your final lesson." Takuma said.

"Why here? Why not just out in public like always?" I asked the unsent, slightly jeering him.

"If I were to shoot you on Spira, you'd die. Here, you cannot. Besides, shooting the infamous Shuyin isn't a very brilliant move, especially whilst your friends are right there with you." He explained calmly.

"You're gonna what!" I screamed, my eyes bulging. His insanity even overshadowed the fact that he'd said my real name when I never told him it.

"You need to learn how to defend yourself against projectile weapons. I saved you today, but you will not always be this fortunate." He simply replied.

If I thought this guy was nuts before, this time it was completely confirmed. "What are you waiting for? Bring up your weapon and let us begin." He ordered.

I looked at my blade with doubt. A thin piece of metal was going to stop a sonic steel projectile from taking me out? It was easy for him to act so calm around open fire. He was already dead. Regardless, I followed his direction and armed myself.

Completely unannounced, Takuma took out a gunblade and fired five shots at me. I cringed, closing my eyes to brace for impact. The bullets hit me within moments and they hurt tremendously. One pierced my shoulder, two hit my left knee, one went into my gut, and the last sped through my neck, just barely missing my windpipe. I landed on the non-existent ground pretty hard. With my last breathe fast approaching, Takuma sighed and snapped his fingers. Instantly, my wounds were gone. I stood and Takuma fired again. Not wanting to go through that again, I held up my sword and swung it wildly around my front. Of course, I barely even managed to scrape one of those bullets and this time, I was shot in my arm three times and my right leg twice. I muffled a cry of agony and Takuma made my wounds disappear again.

"You aren't learning are you? Do you not see the simplicity of this lesson? And you continue to fail. Pathetic…" He mouthed.

My eyes twitched. I was losing my temper again. This idiot was shooting me with a gun and I was armed with only a sword. What did he expect? He fired again, this time only two bullets. In my rage, I swung violently at the projectiles and I was hit by… neither…

"Huh?" I said, completely baffled that I wasn't hit again.

"Ah, so you are good for something." Takuma mused, applauding my success.

"I did it? But how did that happen? I was so sure I'd get shot again." I reiterated, still in shock that I had deflected a speeding bullet.

"You still don't get it? When you became angered with me, you built up more mental speed thus making relative time slower to you. Therefore, it gave the illusion of more reaction time for you to hit back those bullets." He explained, "While anger isn't useful in technical situations, there is no faster method to raise abilities in battle."

"So I have to be angry to deflect them?" I asked, not liking this stipulation.

"No… In time, you'll come to be capable of performing these maneuvers without the aid of your anger. For example, when I first met you, you fought solely on your adrenaline. Now look at you; you've become capable of attacking without callousness. You fight based on strategy aided by instinct, not instinctive strategy." He informed.

"So if I just practice, sooner or later I won't be needing my temper to solve my problems?" I asked just to make sure.

"Exactly. Now, return to your friends. I believe they are in need of your assistance." He said with a wave.

I was instantly brought back to the place where I had last seen my friends. I took in the scene before me. Kirin was jabbing her daggers at a few of Bevelle's ranks, trying to shoo them away by the looks of it. Rothel was busy pummeling one while another choked him from behind with his gunblade, attempting to pry him off. Larea was swinging her staff around, unable to fend off her assailants and unable to cast any of her spells while doing that. Why wasn't Lenne back yet? I took it upon myself to go help my two friends and the summoner. Seeing the closest person, Larea, being hit in the leg by a kick, I lashed out at the attacker, cutting his weapon in two and putting a large tear in his uniform, before kicking him to the ground. Moving along, I back swung another soldier, batting him in the back of the head. He dropped on the spot as I continued, using Hit and Run to defeat the rest. One slash to a chest, another to someone's back, a couple more to gunblades, and finishing off with a jump swipe, cracking the helmet of the final soldier.

"Are you guys okay?" I asked.

"Yea, we just fine. Kirin here used some powdery stuff to screw up them guns. No boom means no problem, ya know? Hey, where you go before?" Rothel said, showing his obvious fatigue.

"We were wondering why you weren't coming back to help us." Kirin whined.

"I'm sorry. I needed to pick up a new skill." I offered as an apology.

"That's okay! We know how to take care of ourselves!" Kirin chirped, patting herself on the chest to show her strength.

"I can see that. Good work with those guns." I smiled, looking into the distance.

My eyes wandered, eventually falling back on our neighbors. I looked back on the city, back to the horror of my dreams… and frowned. Bevelle wasn't giving up. More soldiers, this time about thirty or so, started marching… toward Zanarkand?

"C'mon! Let's go see what they're doing." I suggested.

Together, the four of us ran in the direction of home. When we were close to ten yards away, I noticed that a few summoners were standing at attention to the soldiers.

Seeing Yunalesca, I ran up to her and asked, "You saw them coming? Do you know why they are attacking Zanarkand? I thought they were only pissed off at Rothel."

"You utter fool… They do not desire the blood of your friend. You blitzers are worthless. The only purpose your kind serve is to provide the people of Zanarkand with a source of entertainment. That is all." She replied with the same disdain, "Go to your woman. There you will be safe. Leave the battles to the summoners, you insect."

"Sorry, _m'lady_. If I were to leave, I'd be letting a woman fight a battle that I should have been a part of. Call it male superiority complex, but I don't want to see a woman hurt if I can help it." I said.

"So then, choking Trista was your idea of protecting her?" The summoner sneered.

"Who ever said I wanted to protect her? Fact is, the girl pissed me off enough for me to attempt homicide on her bitchy behind. Sorry, but as much as I don't like to see a woman get hurt, I still believe in just desserts which was what I was providing her with. Trista tried to kill me with her Aeons so I had to return the favor, you see. You would've known that had you not started up trouble with me also." I answered her back, making my presence felt as per the Shuyin side to my personality.

Not waiting for a response, I rushed off a few feet in front of Yunalesca and stood strong as the army reached me. They lifted their weapons and aimed them, not just at me, but rather those of Zanarkand's military forces. I brought up my blade, letting the glint slide down my face before I directed the sharp side forward. As if that was the signal, the soldiers fired off a slew of their rounds. I watched carefully, the spite I had for Yunalesca flowing through me, and I actually saw the waves of sound spreading through the air as the bullets pushed toward me. I moved my sword to one and pushed it off to the side, the projectile flying aimlessly up into the sky.

"Start casting! Summon something! Kirin, Rothel, Larea, you guys help out, too! Do whatever you can! Let's show Bevelle what the Zanarkand Abes can do, guys!" I shouted, my voice coming out at a slower pace due to my distorted perspective.

I swung my blade around to my left, deflecting another bullet, to my right, blocking a few more, and slashed one in half, sending it to the ground in two pieces. I kept hitting each bit of ammunition until one stray shot hit me in the lower leg, near my ankle. I winced in pain and started to sink. Another struck me in my arm and I collapsed onto my uninjured knee. I felt a surge of rage flood through my veins. Opening my eyes, I glared at them, seeing only the color red. More volleys came at me, but in my relative view, they were barely going two inches a minute. I could actually see each wave of sound slowly expanding, shoving away air particles. I batted away a few bullets, slashed a few more, and even stabbed a couple of them since I could. At last, my body surged with energy, raw force coursing through my veins. I pulled all of it into my sword, harnessing the built up aggression. With a smirk, I launched a massive wave of sheer power, killing a dozen or so before the overdrive finished off. Finally, my vision returned to normal with the battle cries of several Aeons. I turned my head around to see an assortment of the summoned beasts stampeding past me to attack the soldiers themselves. They had no need to worry about bullets. With hides as thick as the ones they possessed, they could take them and get at the gunners without much effort.

"You have done well, blitzer. We shall take it from here." Yunalesca stated… with a smile? "Go to your songstress. I do believe she is expecting your safe return."

I nodded and did what I was told this time. "C'mon guys. Let's go home." I said to my teammates, wrapping my injured arm around Rothel's shoulder. The three of us started to head out, leaving Larea, summoner that she was, behind.

"Oh blitzer! One last thing…" Yunalesca called back, casting a spell my way. My arm and leg were stroked ever so gently by a white light and my injuries were gone.

"Thank you." I said, smiling back at the summoner who had already returned her focus to Bevelle.

Guess I had proven myself to her.

We walked together, joking around like always, walking noisily and looking like we were drunk. "So Rothie, whatcha think's gonna be the outcome of this season?" Kirin asked.

"Girl, don't ya know by now? We gonna stomp on the competition like always. That's never gonna change, ya hear? The Zanarkand Abes are always gonna be on top!" Came 'Rothie's' answer.

"Well, I hope you guys aren't underestimating those other guys. I mean the Besaid Aurochs are no joke and the Al Bhed Psyches are getting it together. I'd say we're gonna be in for quite the ride." I stated, putting my arms behind my head and looking up at the stars.

"Ah, Tidus, you worry too much." Kirin chimed in, knocking on my chest.

"Yea Bro. You can't underestimate us, either. We a tough bunch of blitzers ourselves, ya know? Don't count us too short, buddy." Rothel added.

"Fine fine. I give! I give! We'll whoop 'em so bad they won't wanna come back the season after that!" I shouted with a smile on my face. The lot of us cackled like idiots for the next few minutes.

I left my friends when we got to Yu Yevon's office. I wanted to speak with Lenne, as well as, talk to Zanarkand's able-bodied leader. Kirin covered for me with Rothel.

"Shuyin!" Lenne shouted when she saw me, throwing both her arms around my neck and hugging me warmly.

"Lenne… I missed you." I said weakly, the events of the day taking its toll on my vitality.

"I missed you, too. How did the battle go?" She asked.

"I ended up using Spin Cut on it." I told her.

"Aw, you couldn't use a better overdrive?" She joked. I rolled my eyes, "That's exactly what Kirin said."

The both of us giggled for a while before I saw Yu Yevon approach us. "Welcome, Shuyin." He said with a slight smile.

"Sir Yu Yevon." I replied with respect.

I paused a bit after that, before proceeding, "Sir, I was attacked by Bevelle today. They sent two waves at my friends and a final one at the city itself." I informed him.

"You were attacked?" Lenne asked, concerned, "Were you hurt? Is Kirin alright?"

"I'm just fine and so is Kirin. Don't worry about it." I answered.

Yu Yevon remained quiet. "Sir, I'm afraid that if these attacks persist and if we must continue to put up a defense, we might have a war on our hands soon." I told our leader.

His reaction was not one to give me comfort… none what so ever. Lenne's wasn't very comforting, either.

"My boy," He said, "We are at war…"


	17. Chapter 16

_Chapter 16: The War_

I was frozen in my fear and disbelief. War? That made perfect sense in accordance with my two dreams. The POW cell present in the first that I had deemed ridiculous wouldn't be so unbelievable with captors out there scouting for hostages. And that also explains why everybody looked like they were waiting for something in the second dream. Not only that, but with all the gunfire in both and the fact that it was Areth, of Bevelle, with the weapon, I couldn't believe how stupid I was for not piecing it all together. Of course, certain things still weren't clear. For instance, what were those blue eyes behind Areth that kept staring at me? And why was Yunalesca in an overseeing position to all the summoners like she was their undisputed master? Who was the phantom standing behind her? Why did the Farplane vanish before me? So, even with the answers Bevelle's actions brought me, there were many more unknowns still left in the darkness.

But… what worried me more at that point was the war itself. My cryptic visions could wait. Zanarkand hadn't been at war for centuries. Exactly what did we have that could combat the militaristic fortress that was Bevelle? I feared we were gravely outmatched. Our machina were horribly outdated; most of the technical advancements of Zanarkand had been focused on luxury and entertainment. Too bad you can't use lots of good movie graphics to win a real war. Though I wasn't against how Zanarkand developed, given the situation, I wouldn't have minded some military machina that didn't reside in a museum, collecting dust for centuries. How would we answer Bevelle's treachery?

"Are you feeling alright, my boy?" Yu Yevon finally said, bringing me back from my dim thoughts of our future.

"Huh? Oh, sorry about that. Yea, I'm fine sir. I'm just…" I mumbled, not knowing how to describe my current state of mind.

"…Confused? Worried? That is understandable, but fear not. Zanarkand shall not fall. That I give you my guarantee." He replied, finishing my sentence for me.

I didn't understand. Did he have some kind of plan to save Zanarkand? Anything short of building a huge army of war machines didn't seem like it would stand a change of working. "How can you be so confident that we will see victory and not defeat at the hands of Bevelle? You know, as well as everyone in Zanarkand, that Bevelle has many highly advanced war machina and we haven't concentrated on building machina for war since the last calamity over five centuries or so ago." I relayed to our leader.

"My boy, machina do not win wars. People, they win wars. There are a vast number of actions at my disposal to respond to this. Of course, first and foremost, I shall try and sort this dispute with Bevelle's leader, Jin Mikala. If that should fail, I still have other ideas about how to keep Zanarkand alive." He said with a confident pat to my shoulder.

As much as I wanted to believe the man, a man who's never failed us in the past, I found I just simply couldn't. No matter what, the feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach would not disappear. "Lenne, let me take you home. It's getting late." I paused then to turn to our formidable leader, "I believe you sir. I think you are our only hope in stopping this war before too many lives are lost." I stated solemnly, praying that Yu Yevon was the key to our salvation.

"Oh, okay Shuyin. Let's go home." Lenne quietly returned when I finished my statement, walking up to me and grabbing a hold of my left arm.

"Good luck to you sir. I hope you succeed…" I told Yu Yevon before heading out with Lenne, "… for all our sakes…" I added in a whisper, finishing off my gesture.

"Good luck to you in the future, as well." He replied, closing the door after our departure.

"You're still worried." Lenne whispered to me as I walked her home.

"Yes… Zanarkand hasn't been at war for this long and now we are supposed to just get up and face off against a military powerhouse like Bevelle? That's suicide. We don't stand a chance!" I muttered, my body stiffer than I'd ever been in my life.

"But Yu Yevon said…" She began. "I know… He told us we had nothing to worry about and I want to believe him… but…" I uttered, not knowing how to finish my words.

"But you still have a bad feeling about this. Yes, so do I. I tried to believe him, I really did… I just hope this war doesn't get out of hand, but in my heart, I already know that our hopes won't be answered." She finished for me, revealing her own doubts.

We reached her house, walking slowly in silence the remainder of the way. "Although, we do have the summoners. That might tip the scales in our favor. Don't you think?" She asked as we approached her door.

"I don't know. Summons are great. I know how powerful they can be, but what about the summoners themselves? If their Aeons are fighting the machina, what's there to protect the summoner from more pursuers?" I asked, contemplating the use of such magic wielders.

"Well, our Aeons could just hold off all the attackers, right?" Lenne suggested.

"I'm not sure they are that strong. Sooner or later, at least one will slip by and then it'll be machine against human. I think metal beats skin, don't you?" I returned.

"I guess so, but we can cast spells in the meantime, right?"

"Yea, you could do that. Then again, how effective is a spell against unfeeling automatons? Don't forget, while you're paying attention to one machine, they'll have infantry ready to plow you over."

"That's true. I don't know, but I think we just need a little more faith in Yu Yevon. He wouldn't let anything happen to Zanarkand." She offered.

"Yea, I guess you're right." I paused to consider this idea and chose to accept it over the grim solution I had, "Well, it's late. You should get to bed. I'll see you in the morning, 'kay? Goodnight." I said, waving to her as I began the walk to my house.

"Goodnight." I heard Lenne say as I kept walking, trying to reason out my decision with my conscience.

When I got to my house, I realized the exhaustion I was ignoring. Fighting and running around all day wasn't exactly the most relaxing thing you can do. Still, I found I wanted to do one last thing before soothing my worn body. Walking over to the piano I had bought to continue my practice with music, I opened up the cover and turned it on. The keys formed and I sat down, taking in a deep breath. I didn't understand why, perhaps just a bit of subconscious necessity, but I had to play a song that my heart begged my mind to put into being ever since the first moment after hearing about Bevelle's treachery. As the music was produced with each press of the keys, I heard the tranquil melody that my soul offered to the doubts haunting my thoughts about Zanarkand's future. It was very spiritually lifting if I say so myself. It was kind of like a minuet, although it was more serious, more of a serenade. In any case, I played it until the end and felt more confident about our home's position in this turn of events. I chose to entitle it, Eternity's Memory. It was to account for the lives that would be inevitably lost due to this stupid act of discord. It would soothe the uneasy spirits as it had mine. All those lives that would have to die, their families, they could take comfort that their memories would be preserved by each and every citizen of Zanarkand for all eternity. Zanarkand won't let go of its people… never forget them…

Pleased with my epiphany, I finally went to sleep. I was expecting to suffer through yet another dream, but this time would be… different. Instead of another premonition, I had myself an astral visitor.

"Arise young one." Takuma's voice echoed monotonously as I opened my eyes.

"Takuma? Am I dreaming again?" I asked.

"No… I come to you in the unconscious plane. You are asleep Shuyin, and we need to talk." He stated.

"Talk? Talk about what?" I asked.

"We must speak about what I had said to you before on Babel Street." He answered, sighing.

"You mean when you said you feared my future? Did you mean the war?" I started again.

"Yes, I was referring to a circumstance regarding the war. However, now I see I was at fault. Although the war shall take its toll, you will not suffer as much as I had feared." He explained, calm to a fault even as he told me something like that.

"Suffer? I'm gonna get captured? POW?" I quickly questioned, wanting to know more seeing how it related so vividly to my dreams. Perhaps he had seen how I got myself into that POW cell. If he did, he could tell me and I'd know to watch out for it and keep Lenne safe.

"You will be captured. You will be a prisoner of war, however, I cannot reveal to you how that occurs. It would disrupt the tide of events and I for one will not be responsible for breaking the delicate balance of Spira. Events are unfolding, events which you will play a crucial role in." He said, emphasizing the importance of secrecy.

"Oh, that's alright. I don't really need to know. I mean you said that it'll be alright anyway, right? As long as I don't lose any vital limbs, I'm fine." I replied, giving the warrior a thump to the chest, "Though, perhaps you can help us with the war itself."

"Of course… As with you, I am a proud warrior of Zanarkand. I shall defend it with all I can muster, till the very last of my ability." With that, he smiled at me and asked, "Well, now that that business is resolved, would you care for a friendly duel?"

"Duel? With you? Sure! Let's go!" I accepted, making a sly gesture.

"Very well. We shall see what you have learned under my tutelage." He snickered and rushed me.

I leaped over his attack and deflected his back swing with a well placed aerial parry, landing neatly behind my mentor in a graceful crouch. Right away, he charged at me again, kicking my back just as soon as I stood up to turn. I lost my balance and tripped forward a few steps before regaining it, following a strong stomp. Grinning, I dashed at the man and swiped my blade at his neck. He bent and dodged the sword, but in doing so, he allowed his middle to be exposed. I quickly threw my elbow down at his gut and he hit the ground hard… Well, at least the ground that would have been there had it not been the astral plane. I stood over him, confident that I had beaten my teacher, but in the moment I went in to claim my victory, he slipped between my legs, pushing them apart with his arms, to force me into a split. Lucky for me, flexibility isn't a problem of mine and the defensive tactic didn't hurt me one bit. However, the drop kick he landed at the back of my head did. My face hit the astral pavement and I winced. That's when an idea hit me… Yes, along with the bottom of my mentor's boot if I forgot to mention it before. Seeing as Takuma would have to be close to my back to perform that drop kick, I lifted myself on my arms and snapped my legs together, grabbing Takuma with my unorthodox pincer. Then, I continued into a somersault and his head smacked into the ground while I returned to my feet. He unsteadily wobbled back to his full height and I smugly pointed my blade at his throat.

"I win." I simply commented, making a smirk.

"That you did. Good job, Shuyin. You were a difficult opponent and I'm proud to have lost to you." The warrior acknowledged, bowing in respect. The world of dreams faded, allowing me to rest the remainder of the night in peaceful slumber.

The next day, I awoke to find myself in an awkward position on my bed. My hair was all ruffled and my blanket looked like it was being strangled by my legs. I think I was holding my pillow like a sword, too, the cotton object dangling off the side of my bed when I noticed where my arm was. All in all, I looked like I had just woken from a hangover. Laughing at myself, I got up and left my bed the way it was, being the guy that I am… hehe… I took off my clothes and got into the shower, turning the water on at a lukewarm temperature. The liquid hit my skin, splashing all over, and I found it much easier to awaken after that. The scent of a brand new day filled the air. I finished up my shower, making sure that I washed my hair so it wouldn't be such a mess, and got on a fresh set of clothes. Going to my kitchen to get some breakfast, I turned on the SV and listened in on the morning news as I fried some eggs and got some rice.

"In latest news, Bevelle struck late last night at an old military complex kept as a landmark. No deaths have been reported and there have been no injuries. More details later today." The news anchor announced.

That was definitely good news despite an attack. They had desecrated a Zanarkand landmark, but thankfully it was only an empty museum. Maybe they got lost and thought that base was still functioning. Knowing a pugnacious group like them, they probably housed suspicions that we were really all commercial. Oh well… At least they weren't attacking innocent people… yet…

I sighed at the depressing thoughts and finished my breakfast, wondering what to do. Suddenly, my telcom rang. "Hello?"

"Shuyin? Hey, meet me and Lenne over at Genusted Park, okay?" Kirin asked.

"I'll be there. See ya later, Kirin." I answered, hanging up. Grabbing my keys, I headed out, driving the short distance to C-South and Genusted Park.

"Hi guys!" I waved upon seeing Lenne and Kirin. As I got closer, I saw that Rothel and Larea were with them.

"What's this? More company?" I asked, smiling at all my friends.

"Yea, Rothel here just showed up outta nowhere and Larea followed." Kirin explained.

"Is that so?" I asked, peering with suspicion at Rothel.

"Wha? Can't a guy just bring along a little back-up?" He defended.

"Not when that guy is you, buddy." I joked, patting him on the shoulder. Kirin burst into laughter. With the history between us, Kirin's memory made her unable to control her giggling.

"Oh, now you too! I tell ya, one o' these days. Oh, I'll get ya!" Rothel joke threatened. I pretended to be was intimidated by his threat and shrunk in his presence. He followed suit, acting all high and mighty, straightening his collar and putting a smug grin on his face.

"Do you guys always goof around like this?" The newcomer asked us, cowering alone off to the side.

"Yea, don't worry. You'll get the hang of it soon enough!" Kirin chimed in, hopping to Larea's side and pulling her to join in. She awkwardly stumbled into "the fold" and shyly waved at me and Lenne.

"Hey, c'mon L. You don't gotta be scared." Rothel said, putting an arm around her waist.

'Yup, he slept with her alright.' I thought, 'And after only meeting her yesterday… wow…'

"Alright alright! Let's get down to business. I've called you all here to figure out what we can do about the war." Kirin explained, the words spoken in as much of a serious tone as she could muster… and that's not a heckuva lot.

"Wait, how do you know about the war already?" I asked, having only heard of it, myself, last night with Lenne.

"Well duh! The SV? It was all over the news last night. Don't you watch the news?" She answered in a matter of fact tone.

"Well, I really don't care too much to watch the news, so no." I replied to her question in my usual blunt manner.

"Ugh, well anyway, what do you guys think we can do?" She asked the rest of the gang, refocusing my attention.

"I say we kick their asses and send 'em home cryin'." Rothel yelled, throwing a fist into the air.

"I agree with him. I believe we should just face them head-on and make them realize they won't take Zanarkand without a fight." Larea added.

"Well, that's all well and good, but you're forgetting something. Just how exactly are we gonna fight them off? That's a little easier to say than do. We haven't been at war in hundreds of years. We barely know anything about military operations and battle strategies. How can we fend them off if we don't even know what we're doing?" I brought up, pouring my negativity into the conversation.

"Aw c'mon Tidus. Ya bringin' me down here. We can take 'em if we really wanted to, ya know? Alls we gotta do is have a plan. You know me, T, I got me lots o' plans." Rothel exclaimed.

"If I might add, we don't even know what Bevelle has. That means we don't even know what we'd be planning to attack anyway. Everyone says it'll just be machina, but what if they have something else? We'd be preparing our own defeat." Lenne said, coming to my aid.

"Exactly! We haven't a clue as to what we're up against and plus, we have blitzball strategies at our disposal. The warfront isn't exactly built with sportsmanship in mind. Besides, it's just the five of us. What can five people do?" I added.

"How about six?" A voice called from behind me.

"Honey!" Kirin shouted, rushing over to Jurama.

"Hi, Ju!" I greeted.

"Heya, Ju!" Rothel said after.

"So, I finally meet you." Lenne voiced in.

Kirin popped in again saying, "Oh right! Honey, this is Lenne… Oh wait, you already know that. Lenne, this is my boyfriend, Jurama."

"It's nice to meet you, m'lady." The dark haired one said, taking Lenne's hand and kissing it, "Kirin's told me a lot about you."

"Oh, and that's Larea over there!" Kirin chimed again, pointing at our other summoner.

"It's nice to meet you, as well." He said.

"Mmm… l-likewise…" Larea shyly replied. Guess she wasn't going to be used to us anytime soon.

"It's good she has a few more girlfriends around." The mage added.

"Yes, we're glad to have her." Lenne followed.

"Okay okay. Well, even with six of us, we don't stand a chance against Bevelle. I mean think about it! I'm a swordsman, but I'm still only one guy. Rothel, you don't even fight. We got two summoners, Larea and Lenne, but even summons won't beat machina, since there are that many and we don't even know about infantry units. And then, there's you Kirin, but daggers against machines won't do squat so your Magic Mix is your best bet at even landing a worthwhile hit. Lastly, we got you Ju, but a black mage just means one more summoner minus the Aeons. We're still outnumbered. With our military funding as is, we're talking five hundred to one odds and that's only if every able-bodied trained soldier fights. At least half the army has retired in the last twenty years. We're shorthanded and highly unprepared for this." I kept voicing my concern, beating the subject to death.

"Maybe Galte can help." Another voice called out in the distance.

"Hey there buddy! See, now we set. We got you, me, Kirin, Lenne, L, Ju, and now, we got Galte."

Rothel proudly stated.

"Yea, but… wait, what did Kirin say about why Lenne's here?" I asked Rothel curiously.

"She said you was datin' ha, ya sly fox. Thought you had two girls when you was just datin' Lenne the whole time and she was that summoner I been hearin' 'bout." He explained.

"Oh, heh, yea… Well, in any case, I still don't think we can beat all of Bevelle, guys." I said, returning to the topic at hand.

"Ronso crush Bevelle scum! Ronso not afraid of machina! Ronso strong. Ronso fierce. Ronso break Bevelle toys." Galte exclaimed loudly with a courageous pound to his chest.

"While I admire that Galte, it still doesn't hold much water. No matter how you slice it, those things are metal and we're all made of flesh. I really don't see a way to win this thing." I replied.

"We'll find a way!" Kirin shouted.

"Still…" Lenne began her argument, taking my side of things.

We talked about it some more and we all ended up agreeing on one thing: As much as Bevelle overpowered us, we'd fight back. We wouldn't let Zanarkand fall if we still had air in our lungs.

"So all agreed?" Kirin asked.

"Agreed!" We all chimed in at once, putting our hands on top of one another and breaking.

After that, with the major issue settled, we just sat around, chatting it up about the course of our lives up to that point, while subconsciously taking note of what our resolve in this situation would be.

"Yea, she's special to me. I don't think I've ever felt this way about anyone." I told Rothel.

"Heh, that's great, bro. I hope you two be happy, ya know." He replied.

"You know, you and that Larea could hit it off, too. How was she by the way?" I asked him, knowing how much he loved to brag.

This time though, he was different. "Eh? How was who?" Rothel asked me as if he didn't know what I was referring to.

"Larea… It's obvious you 'had a good time' with her. How was she?" I asked him again.

"Nah, buddy boy. The two o' us never even made it there. We had too much fun chattin' it up last night. We went to this movie right? The sappiest thing I ever saw, but she made it worth it, ya know? I dunno… No girl's eva made me feel that way before." He stated, getting lost in his own thoughts for the first time.

"Wow, I think we found ourselves a winner!" I joked.

"Eh? Winna? Whatcha talkin' 'bout, Tidus?" He asked.

"Oh nothing… Just that I finally see good old Rothel, reigning player of the year, on the verge of changing his ways. At least, that's how I see it." I mused, nudging him in the chest.

"Ah, nice try! Dunno, maybe. I just don't see me as the type a guy that settles, ya know?" He admitted.

"I know… Hey, I never thought I'd settle either. I never thought I'd like any girl because most of the ones that surround us are those ditsy girls who always throw themselves at us." I replied.

"Yea, know what ya mean. I used to love those girls. Throw 'em at me one at a time or even three at a time, eh bro? Heh, I loved those nights, ya know? Now, that all just seems… I dunno. Like dumb to me, ya know?" He said, struggling to find the words.

Rothel was changing. He found love himself and was ready to settle down and devote his life to her. I felt proud of my friend. All that time, sleeping with millions of girls left and right and finally, he'd found a keeper.

"Galte bored of small talk. Galte want to beat puny Bevelle soldiers." The white Ronso yelled in exasperation, roaring into the sky.

"He's rather brusque, isn't he?" I asked no one in particular.

"Yes, it would appear so." Lenne answered with a giggle as we all huddled around.

"Right! Rothel, what's the plan?" Kirin added, getting back into her military mode.

"Aight, here's the plan. See, like Tidus here said so many times, we ain't got enough people. Seein' how it's gotta be that way, we gotta use that guerilla warfare bit. So, alls we gotta do is get on Gagazet and find their weakest point. Then, we just get there, take out the defenses, and wait for targets. We don't go lookin' for trouble, but when it comes our way, we go after it, capiche?" Rothel explained, making the appropriate hand gestures as he did so.

"Got it! Hey, sounds like a plan." I admitted, thinking it through. If we found a way to hide around their base, we could just pick off stragglers or those that dared to wander over. An army would be too much, but one or a couple would be easy pickings.

"Galte crush puny Bevelle humans." Galte exclaimed, catching a clawed fist in his other hand.

"We'll cover the Aeon backing when necessary." Lenne added, putting an arm around Larea, "Healing spells, too!"

"And I've got magic down." Jurama pointed out, putting a thumb to his chest.

"Good… When ya wanna head out?" Rothel asked.

"Let's get to it now. What are we waiting for?" Kirin suggested.

"Yea, let's see what this great band of vigilantes can do, eh?" I vocalized, waving the rest over as I already began to head out.

"Hey wait up, T!" Kirin shouted after me.

Getting to Gagazet wasn't difficult as we had Galte, one of the inhabitants. He not only guided us, but he fended away any suspicion from curious ronso onlookers. They seemed to have a certain respect for him, like a chief or elder. Soon after, we reached the peak.

"See anything?" I asked Kirin as she looked at the city beyond through her binoculars.

"Nope, give me a few more seconds." She responded.

"I don't think they'd have any of the Zanarkand-facing points guardless. That would be careless." Lenne said.

Nobody said anything for a while as we awaited Kirin's report. "Oh yea? Well, just check out the western side of the forward-facing watchtower. Just about nothin's guarding that." She replied to Lenne's earlier statement. Lenne took a look through the binoculars.

"Yes, it doesn't seem like they've too many over there. I think you could take care of them yourself… Tidus." She told me, still gazing at the location of our stakeout.

"I think you're right. I could probably take them down." I confirmed when I got my chance to look at the place. Only two guards were posted. One was lookout and the other was gunner. I could handle them both with ease, given that they already looked shaky. "Okay… So, I'll go in first. I'll take out those two guards. Then, the rest of you follow quickly, okay? I'll shine the luster off my sword at you guys to let you know. That or Kirin could just watch me through her binoculars. Once I get them, you come running." I continued. It was agreed. I would go in first and take out the two and then they'd come in to set up our base of operations. That's where we'd wait and strike when least expected.

I ran quickly and quietly, hiding any time I could between sprints behind whatever could shield me from enemy sights. I finally got there and stalked the gunner from the base of the tower, pressing my back against it after each glance made to confirm his position. As he patrolled, the lookout was watching him, keeping tabs on his ally while watching for possible targets. I had to wait for just the slightest moment of distraction… and strike. When that opportunity would come, I'd have to take them both out swiftly. If I didn't, the lookout would easily spot his partner missing and call for the backup that I really didn't want. Like Rothel said, this required guerilla warfare and I would play my part. That moment finally came when the lookout was distracted by something elsewhere, probably some other suspicious-looking interlopers or a wandering fiend that was getting borderline close to Bevelle's gates. I quickly relinquished my hideout and sprung into action as quickly as I possibly could, pulling the gunner down and swatting his face with the flat side of my blade before he could alert his friend. Then, I immediately scaled the wall and grabbed the still distracted lookout, throwing him to the floor beneath us. When he hit, my foot was inches away in a descent, my foot stomping on him hard and knocking him unconscious. Finally, I dragged the two bodies to where I had been hiding, covering them up with tall grass and other bits of mulch nearby.

"At ease, soldiers!" I mock commanded, making a salute before moving back out into the open.

I watched for the sun's position and figured out what angle I needed to tilt my sword in order to glimmer its gleam over to my friends, as per my signal. Be it my stunt or Kirin's watchful eye acknowledging the mission complete, the rest of them arrived shortly.

"So, now that the gang's all here…" I stated.

"Yup, we're ready to kick some butt!" Kirin added, pumping her fist into the air.

"Great job, T. Now, we just wait here for them ugly mugs ta show their faces. Then… WHAM!" Rothel concluded catching his fist in his hand, moving over to spy and see if anyone was headed our way.

"Galte not like waiting. Galte want Bevelle here! Galte pound them into dust!" The ronso roared mightily.

"Well, while you're on that, please be a little more quiet. Otherwise, they'll know we're here and they'll storm us. We don't want that." I said.

"Hah, Galte not frightened. Ronso not fear death, especially from puny humans. Ronso crush humans like insects!" Galte's pride answered.

"Well remember, we're human, too. Keep it down for our sakes!" I whispered sternly to Rothel's running mate. With that, Galte's concern for Rothel overrode his ronso's pride and he complied against his will.

"So, how long do we have to wait like this? I'm already bored." Kirin whined.

Rothel quickly made a shush sound and softly said, "Hush it up guys. Ya don't wanna get caught now, ya know? C'mon, waitin's the best part. Then, we get ta think up lots of stuff ta do ta the poor scrub that walks over here." And so we waited, eager to show off our various talents and techniques on whoever should have the misfortune of traveling across our path… as long that he's a Bevelle soldier with a death-wish.

Not too long after, a squad went out to patrol and a few of the soldiers came, probably trying to get in a little chat with the two guards I took out earlier. Galte was the first to strike. Bursting from our station, he grabbed one by the head, lifting him off the ground, and used him to bat the other, toppling both and probably snapping the prior's neck in the process. As for the rest of us, we became clean-up, dragging the two bodies over to join their friends. We made sure that all four were tied up and gagged so that they wouldn't give us away once they woke up.

"How Galte do?" The ronso asked Rothel.

"Ya did great pal. Couldn'ta done it better myself." The blonde answered, patting him on the shoulder.

"Alright, so now we just wait some more?" I asked him.

"Yea… What? You gettin' bored, bro?" Rothel replied.

"No, just that I was thinking about where those other guys went. You know, the ones that didn't come over here." I stated.

"They probably went to attack Zanarkand. Don't worry… Our boys'll pick 'em off." He answered me with confidence,

"We need ta keep up this strategy. Trust me, they gonna figure somethin's off 'bout where we at, send up a small unit. Then, we bag 'em an' Zanarkand got less trouble goin' their way. You ain't think them guys ova there wanna know what happened ta them two?" He pointed off to the two members who we just knocked out.

"Oh, so we're here like pests, disorienting them so they can't attack with their full concentration." I voiced my newfound understanding.

"You got it, bro!"

The next set that came over was an entire squadron. They must have been sent to check up on their comrades, sent to figure out why they hadn't been in contact for the past half hour. Rothel was right! Once they arrived, they aimed all their artillery at us, seeing how they were everywhere.

"Don't worry guys; I could use the practice." I stated calmly, moving out from our hiding spot.

"Shuyin! Get back here! You can't take out those men! They have guns!" Lenne and Kirin both screamed.

"Whatsa Shuyin?" Rothel asked, confused about the name he's never been introduced to.

"Uh… I meant Tidus. You get back here now!" Lenne cried.

With Rothel's diversion, I leaped into the open, attracting the fire of the soldiers. They all gasped, thinking I was done for. However, I had already grown from Takuma's lesson and felt a change in the environment as each bullet pierced the air. I flipped, dodging some rounds. With my move, the projectiles continued on their way, inadvertently striking the soldier opposite their starting trajectory. When I landed, more shots were fired. I watched each one carefully, mentally pinpointing their locations and swinging my sword accordingly. I deflected about three bullets back at the guard's heads and the rest just flew aimlessly elsewhere. I guess I still needed more experience, but for a day, it was an accomplishment.

"Focus all your fire on him!" One of the officers commanded.

I quickly ran at them, deflecting whatever they threw at me, the rest of the gang using skills to help me out since they were far too late in stopping my brashness. Plowing through, I got to a center point and swung low, tripping all of the ones within the range of my three-foot blade. That's when the cavalry picked up, taking apart the exasperated squadron. Jurama began casting Hastega on us, as well as, Firaga on them. Galte pummeled a few close by, finally loosing his massive claws. Lenne and Larea didn't summon Aeons this time around. After all, we had enough offense. Instead, they began using Scan and curative spells to help determine the weakest opponents to pick off first while revitalizing us. Kirin began mauling a couple with her daggers and, wouldn't you know it, even Rothel got in the action, chucking his blitz ball at a bunch. It wasn't any ordinary blitz ball, either. He had his solid iron training sphere with him. With the Haste spell on me, I moved twice as fast as before, an overload of adrenaline pumping through my veins. With it, hacking through a group of their sentries was done with ease. After around two minutes, we had taken all of them down.

"That was some nice team work, huh? Ya done good, kids!" Rothel commented.

"Shuyin, you could've been hurt back there! What if you were shot!" Lenne screamed at me.

"Yea, Shu… er, Tidus! You could've gotten yourself killed! Why did you even try something like that!" Kirin added, pushing her arms to her sides to boost the pitch of her voice.

"Takuma trained me to be able to deflect bullets. I was just practicing." I explained to the two girls, "I'm sorry I worried you, but it was the fastest way to take care of them."

"Takuma? He's teaching you how to do that!" Lenne gasped, putting both hands over her mouth as she did so.

"Yea, and don't worry about it. I know what I'm doing. He's a really good teacher." I defended.

"Shuyin… Takuma… Man, who are these guys?" Rothel mouthed, the tone of his voice showing his distaste for being left in the dark.

"Takuma is my mentor in swordplay, Rothel. He's been teaching me how to handle any situation so I chose to train just now." I explained.

"And you could've been seriously hurt because of that!" Lenne added, coming back into the conversation.

Kirin followed suit, "Yea, don't do that to us! We worry about you even if you don't."

"I know, but…"

"Hey guys! Look there! I think we need ta be headin' back now, ya know?" Rothel suggested, pointing at smoke coming from behind Gagazet.

Zanarkand was being attacked and the smoke wasn't a good sign for our side. We needed to return home and help our people.

"Let's go!" I exclaimed, running off into the distance…


	18. Chapter 17

_Chapter 17: Hope_

With the effects of Haste still active, I felt my heart beating faster than usual, a surplus of energy flowing through me to let me be the first to reach Zanarkand. Around forty or so enemies greeted me as I swiftly approached. One of them took aim and tried to take a shot, but overconfidence would be his, as well as his friends' undoing. I dodged the shot from below, ramming into the closest soldier with my shoulder, then lifted so he was forced into the sky. Following that, I jumped on him, kicking off his chest for the double effect of smashing him into the grass and propelling myself into the air. With my strategic location, I made a flip, crashing my sword into the next assailant and finishing up with a full-circle leg sweep using my sword. I had at least ten of them toppled before the rest even knew what was going on.

"Ah, blitzer… You've arrived, I see." Zaon greeted, approaching me soon afterward.

"Greetings, _Sir_ Zaon. How goes the defensive?" I asked the golden warrior.

"Bevelle must be fools to think Zanarkand would fall this easily. They've nothing but infantry in this wave." Was his response.

"Hopefully, this war'll be over soon." I stated.

"Indeed… Though this battle is easily claimed, live were lost today. Friend and foe alike shall bequeath grief upon their families." His words were strong despite its cool and collected delivery.

Soon after, Zaon returned to his troops and my friends arrived. "Way to go, T. Ya kicked their sorry keasters, bro." Rothel applauded as he reached me, throwing an arm around my neck.

"Did you have to run off that quickly?" Kirin whined. All I could do was smile.

Turning, I saw that those soldiers I had taken down were recovering and the rest were fending off our own units. "Let's go help, guys!" I suggested, running off at the nearest enemy.

"Wait for us!" Kirin complained, leading the rest of the guys into the fray.

More of Bevelle's troops started piling in minutes later, about a hundred or so within my view. This was what I thought to expect. I knew Bevelle wasn't a pushover and I knew they could muster more power than this. A hundred plus marines seemed about right for the first assault although, I was actually holding out for machina support. Our troops took aim and so did the opposition, both sides trying to pin the other side down while artillery readied to make the killing blows. Lenne and Larea started summonings and casting reflect on as many of us as possible.

"Lenne, worry about yourself! I'll be fine!" I told her after I felt her casting many safeguard spells while leaving little on the way for herself. Her magic couldn't hold out forever and yet she was wasting all of it on others before insuring herself.

"Kinok can protect me. You only have your sword." She replied.

"My sword can take out most of their bullets. What about you?" I returned before the major exchanges of ammunition resumed.

As if to spite my doubts, Kinok guarded Lenne from all the rounds coming her way. Meanwhile, I saw many of our men falling under heavy fire and ran to help. With reflect, as well as my own sword skills, I managed to send back all of Bevelle's aggression. They didn't stand a chance against my blade. Not to mention, Kirin had gotten some kind of grenade prepared and had been blasting holes in their ranks left and right. Her boyfriend wasn't faring too poorly either, what with his Firaga and Thundaga spells halting a lot of enemy advances. Flare and Demi were also working wonders, despite how weak the latter was. In combination, Demi's crushing gravity would start combustion in enemy artillery shells and Flare would ignite them into bursts of explosive energy. Bevelle was taking a serious beating and Zanarkand had gone on the offensive side of things.

"Take 'em all down!" Rothel yelled, chucking his blitz ball at a few and knocking them down hard, "Let's send 'em home cryin'!"

Kinok and Galte, as if obeying my best friend's order, charged at some guards with terrifying roars. Once they finished dismembering a small group in their vicinity, Galte got on the Aeon's tail to have it catapult him right into the center of the enemy's squadron. Then, to continue the team-up, Kinok cast Quakega on a few of the marines near the ronso. Using the new structure of the ground, I pushed off a jagged edge and flew into the air, landing on the shoulders of one of theirs as Galte scratched and slashed at the trapped victims of Quakega.

"Hiya!" I said to my perch, balancing myself on top of him.

All his friends tried to get me off, but each time they came close enough, I threatened to hook them with my sword. When the guy I was on hatched an idea to be rid of me, I just stomped on him and stopped his ploy, forcing him to tend to balancing instead. He couldn't get me off of him for the life of him because by the slight chance he'd force me off, I'd simply jump and land right back on him, destabilizing his footing again. Finally, I decided to give the guy a break. I leapt off his shoulders and landed with my legs grasping his neck. Spinning, I flipped him onto his head where his neck snapped in two, accordingly. Hey, I did say I gave him a break, right?

While I was busy 'having fun', Zaon was occupied with all of the remaining enemy fire. They were in trouble as the numbers were still not in our favor. Although we were taking down a lot, that hundred soon reinforced into a thousand.

I saw that Galte was having a bit too much fun with his rampage so, "Hey Galte! Look over there! Zaon needs you!" I shouted over to him.

With a nod, he rushed over, ramming his claws into the nearest offender and launching the body at a half-dozen others before lunging into their collapsed bodies. The Ronso tore apart the bunch near Zaon's men and I had nearly cleared my patch. With one last mid-swipe, I was ready to relocate my position, too. Lenne and Larea were casting Curagas everywhere and although most were healed, some were unfortunately a little too far gone. We'd be needing sendings after this.

Many of Bevelle's people were scattered, strewn upon the ground, bloodied, battered, and utterly mutilated. And yet, still more came. I had no idea why they weren't using anything more powerful, why they were wasting so many precious futures. I was sure Bevelle was capable of sparing these men from their premature graves. They had machina designed for war, didn't they? Of course, that didn't really matter then while I stood amidst the carnage and horrified screams. What mattered to me was that Zanarkand's people also made up a population of broken bodies littering the Calm Lands. What mattered was that some of their troops were still standing and more were on the way. Time was not to contemplate Bevelle's tactics. Time was to go to work…

"Tidus, you and me. Let's team blitz 'em, eh?" Rothel suggested, directing our tactics with quick hands signals.

"Sure! Let's go for it!" I replied, with enthusiasm, following his lead.

Team blitz was Rothel's nice way of saying that the two of us would pound them with a unique move we'd developed for a championship game a while back to use against the amazing fortitude of the Ronso Fangs. He moved into position and kicked down one of the sentries careless enough not to pay him any mind. Hurling the blitz ball at the fallen soldier's face, he got it to hit hard enough to ricochet into the air. It was my turn following Rothel's pound. I jumped on another soldier's shoulder and pushed off of him, placing myself directly above the ball. I spun into a short sidewinder and kicked it slightly forward, sending it back down at a high speed. The thing hit a group of confused units, not completely following our movements, and went back into the air. Rothel jumped up then and punched it back to me, letting it bounce once on the ground, more specifically enemy grounds, knocking a few more troops unconscious. When the ball returned to me, I corkscrewed again, this time drilling it beneath my heels, sending it under where Rothel was beginning his fall. It took out those under him as it torpedoed through and bounced back to his hands. After the two of us were both back on solid ground, we had knocked out about three-dozen men.

"Nice team work, bro!" I exclaimed, giving my buddy a five and pulling him in for a hug.

"Hey, nice yaself, eh?" He responded, "See you been practicin', bro."

Elsewhere, in another patch of corpses, Kirin was charged and ready for one of her overdrives. _I just love that word I made up._ I'd have to ask Rothel later what his could be, though, like my Force Rain and Kirin's Dagger Shower, these things shouldn't be rushed. Anyway, Kirin took out her bladed blitz ball, spun it around with her finger to release the thorns and tipped it into the air, quickly falling on her back and spring-boarding off her arms, firing the ball off with both her feet. The ball went speeding into a bunch of the enemy forces before exploding as a finale. That blew a nice chunk in their army, Kirin's strongest overdrive, Blitz Strike. Afterwards, she didn't afford herself the slightest pause, constantly moving, stabbing here and there and slashing at whomever she could reach. For such a cute girl, she was surprisingly a lethal femme fatale, as well.

Lenne's Kinok and Larea's Odin were starting to weaken soon thereafter, Odin's horse losing one of its six legs and Kinok getting netted by brigadiers. The summoners weren't anywhere near them, though, so they'd fall soon enough. I told myself then that I'd make it a long 'soon enough.' Charging toward them, I cut Kinok loose from its binds and fended off any soldier that tried to hack at the knight's legs. With a show of appreciation, the two Aeons used their overdrives in sync around me. Odin grabbed both joists and pointed them up in the air, focusing a small charge between them. Kinok burrowed its tail underground, the iron-hard weapon digging further and further into the terra. Lightning shot from the sky moments later and hit the two staffs, running down into Odin's body as it grunted in fury. Meanwhile, the earth around us began to tremble. Odin sent out a wave of electricity at Bevelle's infantry just when the earth melted away from beneath their feet, swallowing their paralyzed bodies. First, they were electrocuted into submission, then they were buried alive.

Surprisingly, Larea's Odin seemed to have a different special attack than Lenne's. I knew that the advanced branch of Aeons had unique attributes that only the summoner would ever truly know. Given that Lenne's branch had overdrives without names, me being the one put in charge of naming a few of the ones Lenne couldn't envision an appealing title for, I knew Larea probably had the same problem. Later on, I would invent Thor's Wrath, a compliment to Ixion's overdrive. Larea's Odin was a superior Thunder elemental, differing from Lenne's as her entire roster of advanced Aeons were non-elemental despite having elemental Black Magic. Lenne's Odin had an amazing overdrive. At certain times, the knight would strike with a single javelin, almost always killing its foe instantly. It only seemed to use it effectively on minor enemies. On major fiends, its javelin would snap in the process, only managing to cripple its foe. Regardless, it has come in handy many an occasion. That attack had been given the name Zantetsuken by Takuma himself, for he had the same unique ability.

In any event, the two overdrives were a good way to kill Bevelle's morale as I noticed a few thoughts of retreat emerge in some of the squads. Indeed, the two Aeons made very helpful companions for me. In the meantime, our two summoners in question had abandoned attacking and focused more on healing the wounded and reviving the unconscious all their magical resources harnessed in Curaga and Full-Cure spells. Even Kirin started making a bunch of Mega Potions instead of attacking. Looking over to my left, I saw that Jurama was helping Zaon who'd been injured in his sword-wielding arm. His high level black magic was felling plenty of Bevelle's officers, decreasing their morale even further. To my right, Rothel had found Galte and the two were having fun embarrassing Bevelle with pranks set to kill. Focusing back on my end, Kinok was using his Spike Tail technique to bash some more enemies into the dirt. Odin, meanwhile, was hesitating. The loss of its leg must have seriously stalled it from making any attempt at an all-out rampage. I noticed more troops were going for it again so I made a goal to stand in their way, hoping to keep my fading allies as long as I could. They tried to shoot me to get me away. That was a big mistake on their part and I let them know it with a Cheshire grin prior to my attack. With all that Takuma had taught me, there was no possible way they'd get through with their fire. Not only that, but I was deflecting those bullets right back at them so, in effect, they were shooting themselves, the fools. After a few minutes, they finally realized that I was besting them at their own offensive and stopped going after Odin, leaving me alone, also. Instead, they went after Kinok, who'd been pushed into the open by the storming mass. That was, likewise, a bad move. Kinok simply let itself be shot. Its hide was so thick, it'd take thousands of rounds to actually cause any damage at all. Its only weak spot was its belly and it never exposes that flaw in its design. With a few swings of its tail and a few more stomps of its giant spined legs, Kinok made a physical statement of Bevelle's folly.

Rothel joined up with Larea at that point, letting the Ronso find his way to Jurama to help the tiring mage. Rothel and Larea, who'd of thought. When I first met Larea, I figured her to be another stuck-up summoner. After all, she did introduce me with her Bahamut's jaws. Instead, she was turning out to be much like Lenne, a pioneer to change the attitudes of summoners everywhere. Perhaps she was secondary to the summoner craft, as well. That could have made a difference as it had with my love. Anyway, although I'd made my peace with Yunalesca, I still knew they'd never think of me as anything more than entertainment for idiots. If anything, Yunalesca and Zaon personally believed me to be worthwhile, though each of the non-summoners would have to prove themselves separately and to each summoner. I'd love to show them up to prove that I wasn't the only respectable non-summoner, but unfortunately, they'd never understand how much intelligence and experience is required in other forms of abilities. Sure, some don't read as many books or have attended as many forums, but at least for the Abes, Rothel and I are the team's top two coordinators and that isn't an easy job. We make sure to calculate the angles and the various probable placements of the opposing team's players. With our statistics, we could devise several strategies that are useable in many situations. For instance, that team blitz move we pulled-off earlier; that doesn't just come from the handbook, of course. Rothel figured that as slow as ronso were, we could move through the phases of team blitz without fail. Using our strongest strikes and pinpoint accuracy, the two of us had the combined power necessary to weaken even ronso stamina. In any case, Yunalesca and those other summoners didn't realize that they weren't the only ones with brains on Spira. There were plenty of thinkers, far more intellectual than they could ever imagine. Larea could probably understand that. Lenne, I know does. Perhaps the future will hold the key to shedding the light to those tamers of fayth.

A few hours passed and my stamina was waning. This soldier needed to take a break. The two Aeons noticed my fatigue as the numbers started overtaking me and took it upon themselves to reverse our previous roles and act as my guardians. Standing at either side of my form, they watched for anything that came our way. Sadly, the battalion that attacked us was a little too much for them, especially since neither of the two was actually unscathed to begin with. After several minutes, Odin fell, its stallion losing the rest of its legs and even one of its joists was snapped in two. Kinok was netted again in an attempt to save Odin and the soldiers managed to get it turned over, shooting its soft underside again and again until pyreflies started to appear. I was left alone and vulnerable, a slew of foot-soldiers steadily approaching, ready to claim their victory. Fatigue slowed me down. I peered a little ahead towards the far side of the Calm Lands and saw that even Rothel was wearing down, taking in ragged breaths as he continued to fight. Galte, on the other hand, was still as pumped as ever. _Dumb Ronso fortitude…_ Jurama was still going at it, casting spells being much easier on one's stamina than running around hitting things with a sharp piece of metal. I didn't find Lenne anywhere, but I did notice that Larea was casting Hastega on Rothel along with a Full-Cure. The guy regained his footing, still sweating and tired, but at least able to defend himself properly.

My pursuers surrounded me all around and I knew I'd be taken in. Images of my first dream scanned across my eyes. As they neared further, I held up my weapon with both hands, gasping ragged breaths. Suddenly, their eyes looked past me, screaming as a massive shadow eclipsed our location, giving a mighty roar in its wake.

"Bahamut?" I asked no one, turning to meet the dragon.

Lenne stood next to her Aeon, casting a few spells to help me out. They were Haste, Full-Cure, and Reflect. Then, my beautiful songstress came over and offered a hand, after Bahamut had eliminated the Bevelle troops with Impulse.

I took her aid and picked myself off the ground. "Thanks."

"I thought you'd need a little pick-me-up so I came over and found you. Of course, Bahamut helped." She said with a smile. I smiled back, taking in a deep breath to let her magic take full effect.

Meanwhile, Bahamut's Impulse was putting a serious hurting on the new brigade surrounding us and just the flapping of its wings at higher speeds was enough to throw the enemy for a loop. I nodded to Lenne and the both of us went back into the action, Lenne sending wave after wave of Black Magic all over the soldiers while I gathered enough energy for some Force Rain. Absorbing the scattered particles of power around me, I leaped into the air and sent several small bursts at some of Bahamut's pursuers. Likewise, the Aeon planted itself on the ground, charged up what energy remained within the area in its mouth, and sent the blast directly next to the beams I had let loose. MegaFlare was a perfect compliment to my Force Rain. Both our overdrives worked beautifully together, my smaller waves swirling along the outer rim of its larger one. After I landed back on the ground and Bahamut had unanchored itself from it, I put myself on its back and it lifted me into the air, soaring higher and higher. Then, at the peak of its climb, Bahamut folded in its wings and went into a dive, zooming at a horrific speed down at the shocked Bevelle nuisances. I followed suite, back-flipping off Bahamut when it was close enough to the ground. The Aeon continued along its path, clawing through all the soldiers it passed or just ramming them over with its head. I, in the middle of my back-flip, uncoiled and threw my sword above my head, reversing my rotation to turn my body into disc blade, cutting into anyone who got in my way. When I landed, I was balancing myself on my sword. A few tried to knock me down, but I just pogo'd my way onto one, kicked off, and sliced into the other. When he fell, I flipped back to my feet, pulling my sword out of his body as I did so to whirl a one-eighty and behead a third.

Finding myself free of assailants for a time, I surveyed the area, seeing almost a sea of bodies littering a crimson Calm Lands. I hadn't even any idea which were Zanarkand's and which were Bevelle's. This was horrible, but Bevelle had challenged us and we couldn't just surrender lest we want more death, deceased that were identifiably Zanarkand's. Something told me that Bevelle wasn't the type that would take surrender as a sign to cease the fighting. These wars are so meaningless. They are fought for the dumbest reasons and in the end all anyone ever really gets is a body count. It was because of Bevelle that I had to fight like this. The original purpose for my training was to defend myself and Lenne. I was doing that still, but not exactly against what was originally intended. These guys weren't fiends. They weren't unsent. These people were living and sentient beings, fighting about what? The loss of a blitzball game? Some stupid pride? Was this bloodshed worth it under the jealousy of Zanarkand's higher levels of flourish? I didn't understand what the point of this was. So Zanarkand was the greatest city from here to Besaid. So the Abes won the world championship and took home the cup fifteen years running. They could have spent more time improving their players and developing more luxuries instead of war machines. They could have tried to turn their Spartan city into a metropolis. But no, they chose to go to war with us. They chose to obtain glory out of the ashes of another's demise. It was that kind of mind set that really threw me and angered me greatly. What would this war gain Bevelle anyway? They'd lose tons of their men and have costs soar to the extremes. Even if they'd win, how could they see it as being worth it?

An explosion and flying bodies caught my attention and I was back in the battle. Making my way into the fray, I found her, my damsel, and she was indeed in distress. Some special op suits were approaching my Lenne, giving her a hard time with dispelling alchemy cannons and what's worse, Bahamut was tiring. I rushed over and slashed the backs of those not paying me any mind, trying to divert their focus toward me as the landscape of death strengthened my resolve to end all of this nonsense. I placed myself in front of Lenne and waited for their move, rage and hatred boiling its way to the surface. They probably remembered my earlier assaults, seeing as they subsequently backed away, off in search of easier targets to claim. They found them in our own fighters, firing and killing many, sending small radius explosives into their makeshift trenches. Bahamut howled back into action, wanting to save as many lives as it could despite how worn it was. The dragon just wouldn't stay put and recover, a decision that could prove disastrous. I stayed by Lenne, seeing if she'd been hit by a stray bullet, having come across so many already.

"I'm fine. Reflect really helps. They couldn't get to me so they just decided to wait until my spell wore out since Bahamut was preoccupied with others. I'm out of magic now, though. I have to rest a little." She told me, beads of sweat decorating her beauty.

"That's okay… You stay here and let me watch over you. Don't worry, you can count on me. My sword's just as good as any reflect." I boasted, giving her my infamous grin.

She smiled and rested her head against my chest. With Bahamut ferociously dissecting enemy forces, I had the time to comfort my love. It gave me the chance to be there for someone who mattered more to me than anyone. It allowed me to fool myself about these events, give my mind some peace to continue without the loss of my sanity.

After a few minutes, I was back in full and Lenne was, well, still recovering her power. In any case, I had to stand strong because the two of us had attracted a lot of unwanted attention. A small ragtag battalion had found us and I was needed to keep Lenne safe while she regained her magic. Looking past my attackers, I noticed that even Larea and Jurama had begun to run out of Mana, the essence of a spellcaster's ability, Ju casting his last Ultima before collapsing onto one knee. Rothel was caring for his summoner who had lost her own strength and had taken to leaning on him for support. We were all running on empty and seriously needed a breather, one that seemed far from coming. To keep Lenne away from harm, I started tearing through all the forces before me, taking extra care to deflect the shots that were aimed for Lenne and not worrying overly much about the bulk that were headed for me. A few managed to graze my skin slightly, but it wasn't serious so I didn't let it bother me.

"I'll be fine! Take better care of yourself, Shuyin! Please!" Lenne pleaded, but I ignored the request, knowing full well that she was an easy bull's eye at the moment.

She was the one who was defenseless so she was the one I had to take as my number one priority. Likewise, whenever I'm hurt, I know she'd always come to my aid long before tending to herself. That's what happens when you're in love, I guess. You don't matter anymore. What matters is the one your heart skips a beat for. I kept up my defensive and took to the offense whenever a situated opportunity came up. Opportunity like having one of their brave idiots choose to play hero and lunge at me with the blade portion of his weapon The others would stop firing and let the lone soldier fight me. Of course, when matching swordplay, I'm no pushover, especially when a loved one was depending on me. These guys didn't seem to realize that. It would go under the list of their follies.

Finally, the dimwits got wise and started attacking me with their blades together, actually going for a ploy of teamwork instead of seeking personal glory. Simple enough for me either way. These army boys were amateurs compared to the guy that was trained by the age-old unsent warrior, Takuma. A courageous soul started us off, taking a wild swing at my right. I dodged that one easily, as well as, the next one to my middle. I wasn't making any offense at all and they still couldn't land a single hit on me. Two decided to double-team me and stab me on both sides, but I merely had to jump straight up and those two fools managed to spoil Bevelle's image further by stabbing each other. When I landed, my floor was their collapsed bodies, a dark and fluid red carpet for this celebrity to take his stand on.

"C'mon guys, you can't all be that bad, can you?" I mocked the rest, stepping off the corpses of their lost comrades.

Getting them steamed would screw up their concentration and with their pitiful skills, that's the last thing they needed. Sure enough, they all came recklessly at me, reenacting the hero's desperate 'last stand' that the movies always show. Poor guys… I'd feel sorry for them had they not been sent to demolish my home. Whirling my sword around, I handed them each a wake-up call as they threw themselves on me. They wanted to be fabled stars, heroes forever remembered in the annals of time. Instead, they would merely be lambs to the slaughter, each of them falling victim to my hand.

When all was said and done, I was in the middle of a giant pile of carcasses. More were on the way, hoping against hope that their destinies didn't end on the same cold deathbed their friends had been put to sleep in. And yet, they were also wishing for that undesirable fate towards those friends so that they could never taste the glory of bearing Zanarkand's blood on their hands. Such was the lust of greed. Larea had regained her footing somewhat, but Rothel was leading her to safety, knowing that the summoner would need her strength to reach a safe haven. Kirin was back in it, despite her bruises and through her exhaustion; the girl just doesn't know when to rap it up. Ju wasn't looking so hot, gasping half-filled breaths as his next rushed to come. Couldn't really blame him, though. Bevelle's troops weren't relenting regardless of the trouncing we were handing them. Galte was no different than Kirin. Do ronso ever tire out? It was like his body ran on the smell of fresh blood. Every soldier he tore open seemed to fuel his rage and revitalize him that much more. I looked back at Lenne and saw that she was still in no condition to fight. Perhaps I should've gotten her to safety like Rothel did with Larea, but at the time, I was pretty sure she'd resist, bringing up our dead warriors and having the duty to prevent any more loss so long as we could. I charged back in and deflected more gunfire, determined to deter their advance. Some of the zealots were signaling to go for Kirin, probably an attempt to take down the overzealous yet smallest of us. They knew I'd be difficult and that'd mean Lenne would be hard to claim for that reason. Then, there was the ronso and I'm pretty sure they'd wanna stay away from him and his onslaught. Therefore, they only had one choice left, that being in my cute and joyful friend, too preoccupied with the foes already blanketing her to notice the advancing units.

"Kirin! Heads up!" I shouted over, making my way to her.

I looked back to see if anybody was playing possum and wanted me to leave Lenne's side, but they had given up on my summoner, most likely fearing the return of Bahamut, still stubbornly battling as ignorance was shown to its many injuries. Lenne would be safe. She was in no immediate danger and I was needed to help Kirin.

"Hey, Shuyin! So, how's it going for you?" She asked between dodges and counters.

"Eh, these guys are chumps. What about you?" I replied, gutting some random guy that ran at me like the imbecile he was.

"Well, Ju's pretty pooped. I'm probably gonna have to get him out of here before long. I don't want him to get hurt and I'm not really all together, either." She said.

"Well, did you try an ether? Maybe that's all he needs." I asked, offering the potion.

"Nah, I tried that. He's drained. I need to get him somewhere so he can rest." She told me, "And I could use a breather, too. There's just… it's too much."

"Go on then… I can handle it." I suggested.

With a nod, she backed away from the fight and went over to her boyfriend, using a special concoction to revitalize him slightly, long enough to escape the field. He reluctantly accepted his removal, and with Kirin's insistent prodding, he walked with her behind friendly lines.

"Looks like I got all you boys for myself… Bring it!" I mused, brandishing my everlasting cockiness. As much as I'd like to blame it on Tidus, the fact was, Jecht's son isn't so far off from Jecht, no matter how much I resented it.

My ploy got most of them upset and they began to rushed at me hastily, the mark of a novice. I readied my position and looked for my first opening. The first attack came from head on, a stiff slash to my right. Moving over a bit and dodging it caused the guy to lose his balance so I quickly made a sidespin and slashed the back of his waist, severing his spine to paralyze his lower body. Looking at the numbers ahead, I realized that once I got enough adrenaline in me to use an overdrive, Hit and Run would be the perfect choice. Two more came at me in unison, making a stupid and obvious stab attempt. They both were going for my middle so I simply ducked and slid behind them. By the time they turned to go for another shot, they were missing heads.

"Now, you guys are in for a big surprise." I laughed, focusing my mind for the overdrive.

Running at them at speeds greater than Haste could grant me, I slashed again and again, moving too quickly for them to even try to counter and confusing them with my excessive twists and turns. When I had finished my move, around twenty or so of them dropped, bleeding profusely from random but all rather significant wounds.

"Any more wanna play?" I asked them, purposely pushing for them to come. None complied, learning their lesson about challenging me. Instead, they all went after Galte, as if he was any safer.

My cockiness actually got the better of me, though. I was so busy watching the soldiers in front of me running to face the ronso that I didn't even realize that one was still behind me, still wanting to be the hero. When I turned, he was already on top of me, a mere second from stabbing me through. I cringed and went to block, knowing I was too late to predict where his blade would come and anticipating defeat, but suddenly, the guy started screaming, his back then lighting on fire. I looked past him and saw that Lenne had cast Fire from afar.

"Sorry, but seems like Lenne's on fire tonight." I joked, spinning around and decapitating the soldier, following my three-sixty. He dropped to the ground, his body continuing to burn and convulse.

Finally, seeing how Zaon's troops weren't dwindling any longer and that Galte and I weren't going anywhere, Bevelle conceded the battle. Zanarkand had won, a sign not likely to be taken lightly.

"Lenne, are you okay?" I asked my love, immediately checking her all over to see her status.

"Yes, I'm fine. Where are Kirin and the others?" She inquired, looking around the field.

"Don't worry, they're fine. Here, I'll take you to them right now." I replied, taking a hold of her hand. Together we walked over to a small encampment that had been set up for the soldiers to use as a base for the time being.

"So, how's Ju, Kirin?" I asked the blonde once we arrived.

"He's doing much better. Right now he's meditating so don't bother him."

"Don't worry, I wouldn't want to see a naked man floating around anyway." I answered, insinuating my view on nudist meditation.

"Let's go find Rothel." She said with a giggle.

"No need ta find me. I'm already here. So, you summoners, ah? You guys do a lot o' damage wit them Aeons, eh?" The third blonde to our little group said as he approached.

"Yes, Aeons are very powerful allies." Lenne replied, "They lend us their undying will and protect us with their souls." Soon after, we were joined by Larea and began idly conversing to pass the time.

During one of our discussions, Lenne got an idea and brought us all closer to our brave men in arms. "This is Zanarkand's first military victory in a long while. We demonstrated, today, that Zanarkand will not die easily. We demonstrated our courage and strength in defiance of a city developed in advanced military science for centuries. I believe that this deserves celebration, don't you?" She said to the weary warriors.

They each looked at one another, at Lenne, and nodded, standing up and giving a cheer. With a conformational nod of her own, Lenne began to sing a new song:

_I e yu i_

_No bo me no_

_Re n mi ni_

_Yo ju yo go_

_Ha se te ka na e_

_Ku ta ma e_

The rest began to sing the solemn yet uplifting victory song along with their favorite songstress. Even Kirin, Rothel, Larea, and the returning Jurama started to sing to show their collective pride in Zanarkand's triumph. I watched on with great joy in my heart. There was hope in our victory. We'd beaten Bevelle, we'd defeated the strongest military fortress head-on. After a while, even I got into it, my voice resounding much better than it used to, as my spirit provided the greatly needed inspiration to produce melodic beauty.

"_I e yu I."_ I sang.

"_No bo me no."_ Lenne followed, coming to me with a hug to show she was happy I was singing, too.

We sang for our first glory. We sang in respect of the lives lost that day. We sang to spite Bevelle in its failed attempt to vanquish us. They'd have to try a lot harder if they wanted to taste our despair.

"_Re n mi ni."_ Kirin chimed in.

"_Yo ju yo go."_ Larea continued.

"_Ha se te ka na e."_ Rothel followed up together with our ronso friend. If more battles could go like today's, we'd have no problems with this war and the strife would be over.

Unity, we finished the song, _"Ku ta ma e."_


	19. Chapter 18

_Chapter 18: Wartime Recreation_

"Bevelle raids have yet to cease and Zanarkand supplies are running low. We ask that all citizens and any courteous visitors please ration their food consumption and donate whatever metals they can find. We asked Yu Yevon for any additional comments." The reporter on my SV said, switching over to some footage.

"Ah yes… People of Zanarkand, fear not. Bevelle shall be vanquished and Zanarkand will return to peace. I have no doubt in my mind that my general, also my son-in-law, Zaon, can handle this matter. Also, I would like to ask that each citizen kindly give the military facility, temporarily housed in the Bovana Lounge in A-East, any metals you could spare. We will stop Bevelle, but we need your support. Thank you. That is all." Yu Yevon had said.

"We hope that all of you will comply so that this trial can pass quickly… In other news…" She continued. I didn't want to hear any more of Bevelle's treachery so I turned it off with a frown.

There had to be something I could do to help our efforts in taking down Bevelle. We couldn't allow this rowdy neighbor to govern our lives with their terrorism. An idea hit me as I recalled old footage of their machina construction the news displayed to illustrate the direness of the war. Actually, the idea should've come to me a long time ago, but apparently, it just didn't occur to me until then that just my being Tidus could tip the scales in Zanarkand's favor.

"I'm such an idiot!" I shouted aloud, cursing myself with the blame for all our casualties.

Quickly, I went to my comsphere and contacted Lenne. "Lenne?" I asked once I saw an image start to form.

"Shuyin? What is it?" She replied weakly, making me realize the hour.

"I just thought of something we could do to help out with the war!" I told her enthusiastically, hoping she would mind my waking her up.

"What? What can we do that we haven't yet?" She asked.

"Gil! We're all rather high on the economic ladder, right? I'm filthy rich with it. You're loaded, too. Heck, we're all rather wealthy and can't even hope to spend it all. I'm sure if we all pitch in, we'd have enough to build a massive army for the home team! Rothel, Kirin, and I, along with Kion and Vena are the Abes and you, you're Lenne, best songstress in all of Zanarkand." I exclaimed, extremely overzealous in my speech.

"You're right! I guess since we really don't use too much of our gil, we just never realized it. Your house is very plain. You hardly decorate at all. I mean, not even custom wallpaper or a trophy cabinet!" She began to contemplate.

"Um, okay… Thanks for the insight…"

"Oh, uh… so we don't really use our gil. We must have just overlooked all that extra currency." She added, her voice trailing in loss to her thoughts.

"Right, well, now we can put it to some good use. I'll call Rothel; you call Kirin. Then, I'll get Kion and Vena in on it, too. Don't forget to tell Kirin to ask Jurama! I'll talk to you later! In fact, tell Kirin to meet us all at the Bovana Lounge." I told Lenne.

"Okay, I'm on it! See you later!" Lenne said, confirming her mission and shutting off her comsphere.

I called Rothel immediately after, "Rothel! C'mon man, pick up!"

"What? What is it, bro?" He replied, groggily getting to his comsphere.

"I just realized a great way we could help with the war effort." I said. And I told him my wonderful idea, followed by telling him to meet me at the lounge and et cetera, asking that he tell Larea. Perhaps summoners were well off, too. Then, I called up Vena, followed by Kion, which was a twofer since surprisingly, Vena was at Kion's house. Go figure.

Next, I called up my accountant. I had no idea what I did with all those paychecks from blitz. I hired myself a guy to do all that stuff for me, especially with all those stipulations and policies. I must have around forty or so filled accounts floating around that I don't even know about. Why does the Federal Monetary Reservoir put a limit on how much they'll insure per account anyway? "Hello?" He inquired with a groan, not knowing who was calling as he was busy filling out some form.

"Hi! It's Tidus. I got something I need you to do, if it isn't too much trouble." I said.

"Oh, what is it, sir?" He asked, "Are you trying to get me to buy my wife another house? You know I have to pay taxes on it." Hehe, so I've tried to get rid of some accounts before. Can you blame me? I could barely remember the numbers for my first two.

"I need you to get whatever gil I've got and withdraw it from my accounts. I'm going to donate it all to the war fund." I told him.

"What! You mean all…" some number I didn't care to remember, "…of it!" He squealed.

"Yup, every last bit. I have enough spending gil in my Creds account to last me until I'm an old man." I told him, "Not to mention I've still got quite a sum stored in that Extended-Insurance Deposit." It was kind of an inheritance type of thing I took out to give to the children I didn't have yet.

"Well, that's true, but the paperwork… I'll get on it." He said with a groan.

I knew I was putting him through a lot so, "You know what? As a payment, you can have one of those accounts. Anyone you want. How's that?" I asked him.

"What! You mean you're paying me with one of your full accounts! That's over…" again some number I cared not to hear, "That's crazy!" He finished.

"I know, I know. It's perfectly fine. I've got enough. You can have it. Just make sure the rest goes to the war fund and give me the forms at the lounge by noon today. Maybe we can get some up to date machina and weapons for this war. That way, we might save some lives." I told him.

"I understand. I'll get on it right away!" He replied, disconnecting.

I got to the lounge after Kirin and Lenne who were discussing more ideas about dealing with Bevelle. "Hey guys! Glad you could make it, Kirin. So, we all set?" I asked them both.

"You betcha!" Kirin replied.

"I'm ready, too. My accountant should be here soon with the paperwork." Lenne added.

"Great! Same here!" I said.

"Yesterday, we so kicked butt!" Kirin shouted abruptly, pulling up a large suitcase.

"Um, Kirin… What's that?" I asked.

"My gil, duh!" I gaped.

"Shouldn't it be on a card or in the bank?"

"It is! These are all my gil cards!" Kirin sweetly chirped, "So anyways, about kicking butt…"

"Uh…" I muttered, then chose to disregard the luggage, "Yea! We beat them up and sent them home with their tails between their legs."

"But haven't you two been hearing the news? After we left, Bevelle came back and kept attacking us. I don't know how long they can last. Yu Yevon doesn't seem concerned, but I am!" Lenne said, anxiety filling her every word.

"I know… I agree with you, believe me, but we have to look positive. If we've gotta fight, then we'll fight our hardest. If we have to lose, we'll lose after we've done them in as many times as we can so that their victory won't mean anything." I told her, "Have faith in Yu Yevon, Lenne. If he's not worried, there's no reason we need to."

"I agree, I guess… If we could only get a break. Zanarkand's not equipped for war." She said, looking down.

"Hey, don't worry. I was the one with the doubts, right? Even I'm convinced that Zanarkand has a chance at coming out the winner and with what we're doing, Zanarkand stands more of a shot." I replied, trying to lift her spirits.

"Shuyin's right! I think we can beat them. It'll be tough, but we'll make it through!" Kirin jumped in.

"You damn right we gonna make it through! There ain't no way I'ma let Zanarkand fall cause o' some stupid punk ass city like Bevelle." Rothel stated, making his presence known.

"Rothel! So, you got your gil?" I asked, looking to see if he had a suitcase, too.

"No problem, eh? My guy's got it, ya know? He gonna bring it here soon, bro." He replied, pointing his thumb back behind him like his accountant was right there.

I nodded, "Wonder where Kion and Vena are. Oh! We forgot to tell that new guy! What was his name again? Ugh, I keep forgetting." I grumbled, disappointed at myself for forgetting the rookie again. He was an Abe like any of us and we should've brought him into the group.

"Ya mean that kid, Haru? Ah well. He shoulda thought of that himself, ya know?" Rothel commented.

"I guess so… Well, it's just that I never even really got to know the guy. I hope he doesn't feel left out." I added.

"Nah, don't worry about Haru. I'm sure he doesn't even care." Kirin suggested, patting me on the chest.

After about an hour, all of our accountants arrived, each accompanying large stacks of paperwork. "Sign here, and here, and here, date it, and next…" They each said to one of us, piling up the form in front of us.

This whole process lasted past when Kion and Vena showed up. Kion's hair was messed up more than usual, though he had his stoned happy face on, and Vena was breathing somewhat heavily. "You guys look terrible! What happened to you two?" I asked with a sympathetic smile. Rothel snickered off to the side and I was completely unaware of what was so funny.

"Oh, you know, Tidus. It's all that traffic and fans and stuff." Vena hap-heartedly explained, taking out a comb and mirror to fix herself up.

"Oh, but…" I started, but chose to let it go. It was just that, shouldn't they have come in a hover? If they did, they wouldn't have had to deal with fans. And if they went on foot, there wouldn't be traffic. Also, since when did fans, even the most rabid, rip off buttons from a girl's blouse? And what was up with that stupid grin Kion had? Even when he was doped up to no end, he never smiled that widely before. I didn't get it, but I didn't think on it too much, letting the subject drop with a shrug.

I finished signing all of my account closings after what seemed like hours. I had no idea I had that many! My arm felt like it would fall off once I was all done. "There we are… Thank you, Tidus. All your accounts have now been completely cleaned out and all of their proceeds have been donated to the war effort." My accountant said.

"Great, now, ya think you can help me get a cast for my broken arm?" I groaned, massaging and twisting my sore limb.

Once everyone was done, we all needed to take five. "Wow, that was harsh!" Kirin whined, rubbing her own appendage, "Who'd have thought they'd want me to swipe each card into their scanner… Owwie!"

"Well… they were going to, but you had your cherub and unicorn stickers over the magnetic strips." Lenne reminded her.

"Oh poopie…" Kirin grumbled, "My hand still hurts!"

"Tell me 'bout it, right? I dunno how many damn papers I had ta sign. Geez, my arm's gone numb. Ain't they never heard o' carbon reprints?" Rothel groaned.

I spoke up to answer my friend with what my accountant told me when I asked the same question, "They needed authentic signatures, though. It's for security purposes, so it's alright… But yea, really rough on the arm."

"Dude, I like so need a smoke right now. Later…" Kion said in his usual unnaturally calm demeanor.

"Kion, wait up! I'll see ya guys! Bye Kir, Rothie, T." Vena said, rushing off to catch up with the goalie of the Abes.

They left us just as Jurama arrived, appearing surprised at the quick exits of his girlfriend's pals. "Hello everyone. I'm sorry I'm so late." Ju greeted.

"No problem. You got your gil?" I inquired.

"Yea, it's right here." He responded, finishing by conjuring up some kind of ball thing. He went over to the donations area and made the ball thing disappear, freeing all of his gil from it.

"Wow! That would've come in handy! What's that?" I asked the black mage, peering at where the sphere was.

"It's just a simple containment sphere. I created the spell myself." He replied.

"That could come in handy." Another latecomer, Larea, interjected.

"Hey L!" Rothel went to greet his summoner.

"Hi Larea!" The rest of us joined in.

"Hello everyone!" She responded warmly with a smile and a wave.

"So, how do you make one of those containment spheres?" Lenne asked Ju, changing the subject back.

"Oh, it's very simple. Close your eyes… Wait. First, have the thing you want to put in the sphere in front of you. I've done this a million times so I just have to know what I want in it, but you guys should have some visual aid before you contain vital body parts or something to that effect." He instructed Lenne and Larea.

"Hey, can I get into this?" I asked, just taking a wild stab at using magic.

"Uh, are you capable of utilizing magic? I doubt it. Sit down." He said, pointing down at a chair. All three girls gave me that "aw, poor baby" look.

"Okay, you done? Alright… Now, watch me and remember, you have to focus on what you're planning on putting in that sphere." He continued, demonstrating the proper hand motions.

Lenne and Larea both closed their eyes and did these wavy hand moves that I tried to mimic while focusing on probably the dumbest thing in the world: Ju's pants. If it worked, I'd have a ball thing and Ju would be short a pair of lower-body wear. As I did the hand things, Kirin moved over to me and put her face where I was moving them. Halfway through, I was feeling her cheeks and nose, so I opened my eyes and she gave me a wide grin.

"Kirin!" I shouted, not amused by her prank.

"Well, it's not like air feels any better!" She playfully suggested.

"You know that wasn't what I was going for! Argh, I'm never gonna get the hang of magic." I groaned in defeat. I heard four sets of laughter. There were three female and one male's… Ju and the girls were all mocking me! I turned and growled at the lot, "Alright, laugh it up! I still got my swordplay and blitz skills so ha!" Turning, I pretended to be upset, crossing my arms and looking away from them.

"Oh, Shuyin… You know we didn't mean it." Lenne said to comfort me, walking over to place a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"Shuyin?" I heard a few voices question.

Dammit, I knew I couldn't keep this from those I consistently spoke with. Sooner or later, especially since Lenne had never really called me Tidus very frequently, people would figure it out. I didn't have to worry about Kirin. She'd practiced enough whenever we blitzed. After all, we'd come into blitzball together and she'd been there when I chose my new identity. She'd gotten used to it while Lenne was still stuck with having to second guess the procedure.

"Uh, no, uh… Well… Shu… uh…" I began to stammer, trying desperately to come up with something and failing at last after all these years.

"Tidus? You ain't Tidus, are ya?" Rothel asked suspiciously.

"Well… that… Y-you see… um…" Was all I could come up with.

"It's my mistake. I just got used to another guy named Shuyin and…" Lenne tried to say to cover for me.

"No Lenne… It's okay… I mean, how long did I expect to keep this up, right? Guys, my real name is Shuyin. I'm sorry I never said that, but… I just… well…" I went to explain, unable to reason with myself on why I'd kept this from them. I mean it isn't really too easy to tell your best friend and some other close acquaintances that you've been lying to them ever since the beginning, building a relationship off a lie.

"It's okay, bro." Rothel said after I paused for the umpteenth time.

"You mean you aren't pissed at me? I did kinda lie to you." I asked him cautiously, expecting him to come over to me and smack me a good one.

"Nah… So you got a different name. You the same guy, ya know? Why I gotta be mad?" He explained.

"Aw, you mean it? You aren't mad at all?" I continued to ask.

"Tidus, er, Shuyin… I'm gonna have to get used ta that one… No problem, bro. I'm cool wit this." He said.

I nodded and thought for a moment, wondering if my suspicions about this name thing would come into fruition. I still didn't want Zanarkand to know Shuyin, even if due to an ancient grudge. "Well, there's something you have to do then. You know, right? Well, I kinda still had my reasons for keeping Shuyin a secret. So, if you don't mind… could you make sure you don't call me Shuyin out in public?" I asked him.

"No prob, bro. After all, I'ma call ya Tidus, anyway. It's like a habit, ya know? I know you as Tidus. I'ma have a real hard time thinkin' ta call ya Shuyin." He replied.

"Wait, I'm still a little confused. So, you aren't Tidus, the guy I hardly even knew. You're Shuyin, another name I barely know. I'm going to have to remember that name now? I tried so hard to remember Tidus!" Larea complained.

"No, don't worry about it. Just call me Tidus. It'll actually make things easier, I guess." I told her.

Ju had been awfully silent all this time. "Hey, Ju! You don't seem to be surprised. Why's that?" I asked him, curious to see if another knuckle sandwich awaited me.

"First of all, I really don't care too much. Second, Kirin let me in on that little secret a long while back. I just never thought about calling you Shuyin because you've made yourself known as Tidus." He replied, never bothering to look at me, "I don't even understand why you wanted two identities, but you're Tidus to the public so you're Tidus to me."

"I see… and I respect your decision. That's probably the best solution to all this anyway."

"Shuyin…" Lenne quietly whispered.

After a while though, this news just stopped being important. I guess that my friends were a little too close to me to let a little lie like that destroy such a strong bond. I should've believed in that bond, too. I would've told Rothel so much sooner had I known he'd respect my decision, but I was afraid. Kirin was the only one I trusted back then, that trust given solely to Lenne following her. Throughout the years, Kirin and I grew close, very close. Eventually, one day she admitted to having feelings for me. At the time, I was a bonehead and disregarded it, but in the coming years, especially since we'd been through everything together, I felt love for her, too. Unfortunately, by then she'd found Jurama so I was out of the picture. I still remember how we met, hanging out by a local bar since Rothel was celebrating our latest championship, Ju's hand pressed to my throat, threatening to kill me if I hurt her again. Following Kirin, I didn't really favor anyone in particular until Lenne. With her, I realized that the love I had for Kirin was the compassionate older brother, not the romantic lover. That was meant for Lenne which was why I trusted her from the start.

With my past revealed and accepted, the lot of us decided that we should chill out for the day and have some fun considering Bevelle hadn't attacked for a while. Nothing really inspired me, but Rothel came up with the idea to go to Besaid for the day and have fun at the beach. That sounded like a plan and we all headed to our individual houses to get swim gear. Well, all except Larea. For some reason, she said she couldn't make it, probably because she figured things would be moving too fast with Rothel. Anyway, the rest of us were going so off we went. Of course, I'd normally just use the blitz stuff I had on, but I used that for casual clothing and besides, why would I want to wear casual stuff when I could break out in some trunks? I got back to my place and looked around my drawers for them. I finally found them… after turning my room into a desert of cloth. Pushing my way out, I grabbed the trunks and a good T-shirt and got back to my hover. Then, I realized I didn't even get my beach stuff on me and I went back inside. Guess I was a little excited since I never got to go to Besaid for the mere enjoyment of the beach. Every time I went, it was for an away game. Anyway, after a few minutes I was back out, all dressed in beach gear with a duffle bag over my shoulder containing a spare set of clean clothes for later. By then, Rothel was outside, waiting up on me with his hover-cruiser. I never understood those things. They look great in movies and all, but actually riding one is a little more dangerous than it's worth and far less cool with needing to balance on two anti-grav pads than having the stability of four.

"Hey, you done yet?" He yelled over, "I'm dyin' o' old age ova here!"

"Yea, I'm all set. You're the only one here?" I asked.

"Yea, Kirin and Ju's already there. I dunno 'bout Lenne, though. Hey, c'mon, let's go already, ya know?" He shouted back over.

"Right! I'm coming!" I said with a wave and hopped into my hover.

The two of us raced through a highway until we realized that… Besaid was an island and we'd need either a boat or an airship to get there, neither of which could be gotten from what we were doing. "Um, where are we driving to?" I asked him, through the hover's speaker telcom.

"Besaid, ya know? Remember the beach?" He replied, completely oblivious to my sarcastic question.

"Rothel, we need an airship!" I yelled. Immediately, my blitz buddy stopped his cruiser and smacked his forehead, pulling over to the side with my vehicle following after.

"Ah, I knew I forgot somethin'. Now what?" He grumbled with a sigh.

"Look, you said Kirin's already there, right? Well, just give her a call and ask her how she got there. I wonder how Lenne's getting there. I'll give her a call, too." I offered.

So, with that, I contacted Lenne and Rothel called Kirin. "I'm there, too. Kirin told me that she and Jurama wanted to go ahead so she told me that I could get a ride with some Al Bhed that Damusa knows." Lenne told me, "It looks amazing and the Al Bhed were very nice. I'll introduce you when you two get here."

"Hey T! Kirin just said that Damusa's got an airship! They went on his, ya know? She said she gonna get Damu to come get us right now, ya know? We all set!" Rothel shouted over, forcing me to put Lenne on hold.

"Okay! I got it! Lenne just told me the same thing!" I shouted back over, waving him away so that I could go back to Lenne.

"So Damusa's there, too? That's great! And he knows some Al Bhed? Is that how you and Kirin got to Besaid the last time?" I asked.

"Yea! Oh, I must have forgotten to tell you about that." She replied.

"It's not your fault. Remember what happened then? I came over and then Trista showed up? I'm not surprised you forgot about your trip. The girl did try to kill me." I said.

I could hear Lenne's forced laugh from the other line. She had wanted to forget that memory and I had to be the imbecile and remind her. "Sorry… I shouldn't have brought that up… Anyway, I'll be there soon, 'kay?" I told her.

"Okay! I'll be waiting." She replied with a kiss into the speaker to finish.

Love you… dammit. I still couldn't say it…

After an hour or so, the two of us had returned to my house to wait, Damusa arrived. At first, me and Rothel hadn't a clue it was him, just that there was a loud noise outside, but he kinda made his presence known…

"HEY GUYS!" His voice boomed loudly over the external intercom.

"Ow, my ears!" The both of us yelled in sync, covering the sensitive organ before it could pop.

Damusa landed and got out of the airship to greet us a little more properly. "Sorry guys, forgot how loud that thing is. I should remind myself next time not to shout into it." He stated apologetically, rubbing the back of his head.

"That's okay… Just remind me ta kick ya when my ears stop ringin', ya know?" Rothel groaned. With a nod, Damu led us into his ride.

"Hey, sorry about what happened the last time I saw you. How is the guy?" I asked, recounting the horrible assault I made on the Areth look-alike.

"You mean the guy you nearly killed? Yea, he's okay. And don't worry about me. I forgive you." He replied.

"Wha happened the last time ya saw him?" Rothel asked for obvious reasons. He is my best friend. Why would I hide anything from him, especially since I already tested our friendship just before?

"The last time I saw Damu, we were in Bevelle and well… I kinda had a run-in with a guy and…" I started to say.

"And he beat the guy to a pulp. I had to get him to a hospital to stop the bleeding. He had a fractured spinal disk that punctured his brain stem. He'll be able to walk again and all, but that just shouldn't have happened." Damusa told him.

"You whooped a Vellie? Good goin', bro! That'll teach 'em to punk out Zanarkand, ya know?" Rothel congratulated me.

"Rothel, I'm not exactly proud of it. Look, I got mad and lost my temper. Besides, this was before the war started. I just didn't like his responses to my questions. Sorry, Damusa." I said solemnly, "Thankfully, I didn't do any permanent damage."

"Hey, Tidus. No problems, ya know? Who cares if this didn't happen during the war? The guy messed wit ya and ya had ta set him straight, ya know?" He suggested in defense of my actions.

"Whatever… Let's just get going, okay? Buckle up! We'll get to Besaid sooner than you can blink." Damusa interrupted, eager to get to Besaid Island so we could drop the subject.

His statement wasn't for nothing. Within a matter of minutes, we were in Besaid. Of course, the guy did get an average velocity of two hundred thirty knots an hour. If I thought the ringing in my head was bad, the need to barf from being crushed by g-forces was much worse.

"Are you okay, Shuyin?" Lenne asked as she walked over to me after I stumbled out of the airship.

"I'll be fine… Just give me a minute." I stammered, wondering when my vision would return to normal as I wobbled around before falling to one knee.

"Oh c'mon! My driving isn't that bad is it!" Damusa yelled, walking out to see my fallen form.

"I thought the ride was fun!" Kirin's obvious answer came.

"Oh, I highly disagree." Grumbled the voice of a weary black mage as they both made their way to us.

"Aw c'mon! Stop raggin' on me!" Damu shouted.

"So, where are those Al Bhed that brought you here?" I asked Lenne when I could stand again.

"Oh, they're right over there. I'll introduce you to them. They were really nice, although, I have to admit that I didn't really know what they were talking about until I got here and Kirin translated. One of them is trying to learn to speak to me, though." She replied, smiling as she finished.

I felt a little hint of… let's call it over protectiveness, "Speak to you? As in, he's just learning it to be able to talk to you?"

"Are you jealous? His name is Akoji and he's been to Zanarkand a few times. He went to a lot of my concerts. I guess he has a crush on me." She told me.

"That's cool. Maybe I could offer you up for a lesson on how to drive that airship." I slyly pondered with a smirk.

"Shuyin!" She scolded. I began laughing hysterically and somebody came over to give me a shove.

"Hey! What was that for?" I shouted, looking to see my assailant.

It was some guy wearing goggles around his neck and a pair of trousers. The guy had tattoos all over him, a few of them saying Lenne which hinted me to his identity. "Oh, so you must be Akoji." I said, still smirking.

"Fryd tet oui cyo du Lenne?" He shouted, grabbing my collar. (What did you say to Lenne?)

"Uh, what? I'm sorry, my Al Bhed's a little weak." I said, throwing my hands up in front of me to try and calm the guy down.

"Cruf ran suna nacbald oui ycc! Udranfeca, E'mm buiht oui ehdu dra byjasahd!" He shouted some more, shaking me around in anger. (Show her more respect you ass! Otherwise, I'll pound you into the pavement!)

"Look! I don't understand! What are you saying!" I yelled back, completely confused as to what this guy was on about.

Kirin rushed over, having heard our dispute and screamed at the Al Bhed, "Lyms tufh! Cdub ed, Akoji! Drec ec Shuyin. Kaaw, ra'c Lennie's puovneaht!" As she argued with him, she grabbed his arm, trying to make him let go of me. He finally did and the two of them started yelling at each other in Al Bhed. (Calm down! Stop it, Akoji! This is Shuyin. Geez, he's Lenne's boyfriend!)

"Kirin? Since when do you know Al Bhed?" I asked her, trying to guess at what they were talking about. She ignored me, still mad at the guy for something or another.

"Ra syta Lenne yhkno. Ev cra'c syt, E'c syt, duu!" Akoji yelled, pointing an angry finger at me. (He made Lenne angry. If she's mad, I'm mad, too!)

"Ra fyc zicd bmyoehk fedr Lenne. Dryd'c fryd drao tu. Ed'c lymmat ryjehk vih? Lyms tufh!" Kirin yelled back. I don't even know if they were yelling, but it sounded like it to me. (He was just playing with Lenne. That's what they do. It's called having fun? Calm down!)

"Veha, E keja. Cu, ruf'ja oui paah mydamo? Oui rumtehk ib ugyo fedr dryd Ju kio? Ev ra pudranc oui mega drec kio fyc pudranehk Lenne, zicd damm sa ugyo?" The Al Bhed said, more calmly this time. (Fine, I give. So, how've you been lately? You holding up okay with that Ju guy? If he bothers you like this guy was bothering Lenne, just tell me okay?)

"Oh, you act like you're my brother too much!" Kirin said with a pout.

"Me… trying… help you… E zicd tuh'd fyhd du caa oui kad rind." He continued, trying to match Kirin's language, but failing and going back to his Al Bhed. (I just don't want to see you get hurt.)

"Aw, I know that. Oh, hey Shuyin. I forgot you and Lennie were still there." Kirin said with a grin.

"Yea… I didn't know you spoke Al Bhed." I said, reiterating my earlier question.

"Oh, yea. Since Damusa's Ju's best friend and he's always with a lot of Al Bhed, me and Ju decided it'd be best if we learned a little of it, too. Some time after, we just ended up learning all of it. It's almost become second nature for me. So how was your ride, Lennie?" Kirin explained, inquiring of the songstress.

"Oh, it was fine. They made sure to go at a comfortable speed and Pally's a really great navigator." She replied.

"Pally?" I asked.

"Oh, right! I forgot about introductions with Akoji grabbing you from before. Pally's right over here." Lenne said, bringing me over to a much darker Al Bhed woman, "Pally, this is who I was talking about before, Shuyin."

"Re, Shuyin." She said, extending a hand. (Hi, Shuyin.)

Shaking it, I said, "Well, reeay to you, Pally!" I said, trying to try my hand at Al Bhed, "You know, in our language, your name would mean friend." Either I came on too strong, or I said something weird, or I totally confused the poor woman because she just froze, staring at me like I had three heads.

"E drehg ra sayhd du cyo, re Pally." Kirin chimed in, most likely to cover for my lack of Al Bhed. With a small laugh, the Al Bhed woman nodded and went to talk to Akoji. (I think he meant to say, hi Pally.)

"What was wrong with what I said?" I asked Kirin.

"You mixed our lingo with Al Bhed. You confused her. Only Akoji is trying to learn and he's turning out horribly. Did you really think Pally was gonna get what you were saying? Oh, by the way, Pally's short for Palera." She explained, "And you even said 're' wrong."

"But I said it like she did, didn't I? Oh, forget it…" I grumbled, throwing my hands in the air.

Both Lenne and Kirin giggled and each grabbed an arm, leading me over to the beach. "We'll be right back." They both then added, running off again and leaving me with the guys on the sand.

I lay down and yawned, staring up at the clouds that slowly drifted by. "Reeay… That's right, isn't it?"

Suddenly, sand flew at my face. I heard lots of laughter and more sand rained down on me. "Hey! Who's doing that?" I yelled, then getting more sand thrown at me.

"Gotta watch out, bro. Ya never know what'll come at ya these days, ya know?" Rothel mused, "Just tryin' ta keep ya on ya toes."

"Oh yea?" I asked with a smirk, picking up some sand, "I'll show you what to watch out for." I ran at him and slapped away some sand that he chucked at me. Finally, I got to him and tackled him to the ground, mashing the handful of sand I had all over his face, "That got you on your toes?"

We fought around for a while until we rolled into Ju who looked condescendingly down at the both of us. Slowly, we separated and bowed our heads like mischievous little kids. "Now, you kids play nice or I'm going to have to throw fireballs at you." Ju joked, pointing a scolding finger at my friend and I.

"Oh yea?" The both of us looked at one another, throwing a smirk each other's way. Rothel lunged up at Ju and I tackled his legs.

"Now, who's gonna throw what at who again? I think it was us about to chuck globs of sand and bury you under this beach!" I laughed.

"You are so gonna get it, bro!" Rothel added.

"No! Ju! I'll save you!" Damusa shouted, running over and throwing himself into the pile while we all screamed. The lot of us landed with a crash and stayed like that for some time, mostly due to the fact that… that really hurt!

"Are you boys done breaking your bones?" Kirin scolded, grinning at us with her arms to her waist.

"Ha ha, very funny. Hey guys! Get off me!" I complained, kicking and pushing Damu and Rothel away so I could stand and reclaim my dignity.

After a few minutes, although we were covered in sand, everyone was back to his feet, licking his wounds. I walked over to Lenne once I was done patting the sand off of me. She was in a two-piece and… that's about as far as I'll take it. Let's just put it this way: Kirin's the only one who wore less and she's the nudist. Could you just picture the big fat grin I must have had plastered to my face then?

"Wow, you look beautiful in that." I commented.

We hung out on the sand for a bit, playing some volleyball or chucking sand at one another. Following a couple of hour, though, me and Rothel, blitzers that we were, decided to go for a swim.

"Yo, Lenne looks hot in that thing, ya know?" He said to me, poking me in the gut as we swam around.

"Hey, don't get any ideas. I'll tell Larea you've been eyeing other women!" I warned.

He pretended to be completely scared of my threat and swam over to me, grabbing my hand and pleading, "No, don tell her! I swear I won't look at your woman eva again! Just please don tell L!" I couldn't help but voice my amusement at that through laughter.

Continuing the game, I said, "Don't worry. I would never dream of telling her…" With my voice adrift, I stuck out my hand like some kind of mob boss you'd see in a movie expecting a submissive show of respect, and he actually went all the way, giving it a kiss right on the ring finger.

Of course, I had to follow it through, "Good, my friend. One day, I'll come to you for a favor. That day may never come, but if it does, I hope for your benefit, that you will grant me that favor."

As a finale, I turned him around, placing my hand over his far shoulder and patting it twice, "I tell you now, I value your friendship… and if your pit didn't smell so bad, I'd value it even more!" Both of us burst into a fit of laughter when I said it, using such a calm and flowing tone. We used to love those movies and watched them all the time.

"So, you and Larea. Are you guys even that serious?" I asked.

"I dunno… She's different, that I know. I just… I dunno what ta think, ya know? How'd you know you was serious wit Lenne?" He answered, inquiring the same information of me to help clarify his situation.

"How did I know? Oh, I knew right after the second date… It's just this kind of feeling you get. I don't even know how to explain it, but you just know that feeling. It makes you want to do anything for her." I explained, "It's a wonderful emotion, that I'm sure."

"I guess I still need some time ta figure that out, ya know? Maybe she ain't the one. Who knows? All I know is that she the only girl I ain't slept wit and still stuck wit her longer than any other girl." He thought aloud.

"Well, if she's the only girl that you don't have to 'bed', I'd say she's made an impact on you already." I suggested.

"Yea… maybe…" He shrugged.

Some hours later, we were indoors, ready to settle in for the night. We checked into one of their hotels that was as close to the beach as possible. Lenne and I were in one room, Kirin and Ju in a second, and Damusa was with the Al Bhed aboard the one of the airships. If Larea had come, it would've been her and Rothel, but maybe this was good for the guy. After all, he was confused about their relationship and a night together might end them up on the wrong track.

"Goodnight, Shuyin." Lenne whispered with a kiss to my cheek, bringing my mind back into my own room.

"Goodnight, Lenne." I returned, brushing some stray strands from her face and gently lying down next to her.

Lenne cuddled close, falling asleep pretty quickly in my embrace. I, on the other hand, was still caught in insomnia, thinking about the two things plaguing my mind even there in our beach paradise: One was Rothel; the other was the war that we were still in back home. I hoped the financial aid we gave to them would help, though… deep down, I still feared truth coming to my dreams…


	20. Chapter 19

_Chapter 19: Unlikely Alliances_

I woke up to Kirin's body landing on top of me. "Kirin!" I yelled, shocked in my groggy state of mind. She just giggled and moved onto Lenne, snuggling against her like a puppy.

"Good morning, Kirin…" Lenne sleepily whispered.

"How did you get into our room anyway?" I asked with a groan, shaking the cobwebs from the morning ambush.

"Oh, I have my ways." The blonde chimed with yet another giggle, hopping off of the bed and landing nimbly on the floor.

"So get up already!" She whined, stamping her feet.

"Alright! I'm up. What time is it?" I asked groggily, appeasing the hyperactive girl.

"It's almost six!" She yelled.

"Okay, and I'm down again." I told her, collapsing back into the mattress.

"Shuyin!" She complained, walking over to my side and grabbing my arm, struggling to get my heavier body up.

Lenne just couldn't help but giggle, her face hidden under the covers. Finally, Kirin gave a big tug and ended up yanking me right onto the floor on top of her collapsed self, together with half the blanket.

"Ow…" I mumbled, trying to untangle myself.

"Okay, your turn Lennie!" The girl chirped, skipping back over to the other side after kicking herself loose.

I heard Lenne pretend to snore and Kirin began to make a really high-pitched squeal that probably could've shattered glass if she kept it up longer. Lenne continued to ignore it and stayed curled up with the remainder of our blanket. I was just about done untangling myself when…

"Lennie!" Kirin whined, shaking the songstress's body to try and get her up. Then, Kirin paused to think for a moment, putting her finger on her cheek and looking up at the ceiling.

"Lenne, I think she's up to something." I warned, pausing a moment in my efforts.

However, it was too late… Kirin savagely went in and tickled Lenne mercilessly. "Oh, the horror!" I mused.

"Shuyin!" Lenne screamed in between giggles.

"Wakey wakey!" Kirin chirped, tickling Lenne even more.

"Shuyin, save me!" She cried, laughing and gasping for air at the same time.

"Have no fear! Shuyin is here!" I proclaimed, rushing over to Kirin and tickling her.

"Oh no! Wait! Stop it! Mercy!" Kirin shouted, her face turning red from all the laughing my tickling had started to produce.

"Mercy? What's that?" I asked coyly, a fiendish smirk plastered to my face.

"Have you learned your lesson, Kirin?" Lenne asked formally, acting like a mob boss who'd just shown her power to a disloyal henchman.

"Yes yes! Please, make him stop!" Kirin pleaded, tears streaming down her face from laughing so hard.

"Okay Shuyin. I think she's had enough." Lenne said with a nod. I let go of the girl who promptly fell onto the floor, gasping for air.

"That's not fair! It was a double team! I want a rematch!" Kirin whined.

Both me and Lenne laughed, helping the poor girl to her feet. We goofed around for a few hours, the sun finally rising to bring forth the morning so we all went to freshen up.

"Hey, if you guys are done wakin' up everybody in this place, we got a whole day ahead o' us, ya know?" Rothel said with a knock, having been one of the innocent bystanders prematurely woken due to our little battle.

"Be right there." I told him, pulling my shirt on, "There, all set."

I walked over to Rothel and the two of us made it down the several flights of stairs to the lobby, eager to start off the new day. We'd have waited for the seleva, but we had about as much patience as a chocobo with its tail lit on fire. We rushed out of the lobby and ran directly back to the beach, spotting Damusa in the distance, talking to Ju.

"I got Ju, you get Damu." Rothel instructed, motioning for me to circle left.

With a conformational nod, I stalked around the two and waited for a signal. Seeing a small glimmer, Rothel's trademark, I leaped out of my hiding place and tackled Damusa to the ground, followed closely by Rothel's body, which had been subsequently thrown by Ju.

"Well, that almost worked." Rothel mumbled, getting sand out of his hair.

"Hey, I got my guy. Just cuz Ju saw you comin' doesn't mean it didn't work." I informed my friend, brushing sand off of my arms.

"Ha, you have to wake up pretty early to get at me." Ju exclaimed.

"Is that so?" I asked him, seeing Kirin creeping up behind her boyfriend, silently inching up to the black mage.

"Well, I don't know. Maybe it just takes a certain…" I began, pausing a moment as Kirin jumped on Ju and got him into the sand, "…kind of finesse." Ju coughed up some sand while the rest of us laughed it up.

"Guess ya don gotta wake up that early, ya know?" Rothel mused.

"Well… maybe it's just that Kirin's Ju's weakness." I offered.

Once he dusted himself off, Rothel started running toward the water and I followed. The both of us dove and started drifting, unsure of what we could do. "Hey, let's get in a little blitz game, just you and me. How about it, Rothel?" I asked him, swimming over and grabbing the blitz ball he always carried with him.

"Ya think ya can take me on? I know what you got, ya know? I can take ya." He replied with a cocky grin, accepting my challenge.

"Yea? Alright then, bring it old timer!" I mocked, sticking out an arm and motioning my finger for him to make an advance.

I tossed the blitzball high into the air and both of us rushed to claim it. I managed to get my hand on the ball first and made a sprint back underwater, dashing off somewhere until I realized something…

"We don't have a goal field!" I informed, ending my mad rush to nowhere.

"Eh? Oh, right… Uh, we can just call a shot that passes o' of us a goal, ya know?" He suggested.

"You mean whoever gets the ball lost gets a point?" I asked, hinting sarcasm at the fallacies in his idea.

"Eh? I got plenty o' gil ta get me more than my fair share o' blitz balls, ya know? Who cares if I lose this one, right?" He replied, "Relax, bro." I shrugged and the game resumed. Since I had the ball, I went for a quick kick to sink an early goal, but obviously, Rothel caught that one.

"You think too little o' me, bro. I got lots more game than that!" He boasted, performing his favorite opening move, the Quick Pound. The move simply worked like punching the ball, but to add some charm into it, Rothel puts out both arms and whirls around, smashing the ball as he completes the circle.

The ball sped toward me at an incredible speed, but I was no amateur, either. I hurried and got under the ball as it headed over to me and made a flip, whacking the ball with my legs and sending it back over to him. "Your move might be good against most, but I, frankly, am not most." I pronounced, throwing him a cocky smirk.

"Heh yea? Well, check this out, bro. I'm sure this'll make a impact, ya know?" He declared, hitting the ball downward with both his hands.

The ball went all the way into the depths and rebounded back up to him. Quickly, he pulled back and waited in a spring-like state. Once the ball was in position, he pushed forward, swiping the ball forward in a pouncing motion using all of his momentum to send it flying straight at me. It was his Blitzkrieg move, the best in his arsenal; like a viper's lightning fast strike, it devastated scores of blitz champions in the past. I'd seen this one mess up so many opposing spirits trying to rise in the ranks. Its only rival was my next move…

I moved underneath the ball's trajectory once more, but this time I head-butted it out of the water, myself along with it. I noticed Rothel gawk at the realization of what I was doing. As I began to drop, I put myself into a back-flip, executing a perfect Jecht Shot and making the ball soar. Once it got to Rothel, he just dodged as best he could, allowing me to score. I landed back in the water.

"Nothing beats it." I grinned with my statement.

"Ya know, besides that move, you ain't got nothing that I can't block, bro." He claimed.

"Is that so?" I said, swimming into the depths to retrieve the scoring item. Once I found it, I swam back to my friend, spinning it on my index finger. "Ever hear of a little something called, the Sublimely Magnificent Jecht Shot Mark III?" I asked him.

"Ya mean ya dad's favorite move? You can't do that one, bro. He a legend for that!" Rothel told me, doubt evident within his voice.

"You think so?" I asked with another grin.

With his nod, I kicked the ball at him initialing my attack. He blocked it, but it bounced back to me. I punched it and Rothel blocked it again, letting the ball return to me a second time. Finally, I kicked the ball up a bit and corkscrewed my way up to it. Stopping, I waited and watched the ball get into position, the inertia from my spin still within me. With a wink back to my friend, I launched it straight at my friend who could only dodge again lest he want to be hit harshly.

"So, can't do it, huh?" I inquired him on his earlier comment, a voice bathed in sarcasm.

"Dammit, bro. How come ya never use that in any of our games if ya can do it? It coulda won that Bevelle game that much easier, ya know?" He grumbled.

"Look, my original Jecht Shot is good enough to beat people. I don't really need to use my old man's special little move to impress my fans. That's what he'd do and I want to be nothing like him, if I can help it." I stated with some anger in my tone.

"I get it, I get it. No sweat, bro. We ain't lost a game yet and ya ain't eva used that move. Heh, we don't need it." He offered, easing back somewhat.

"Thanks." I smiled, "I'll use it once, for you."

Soon after, with the loss of the ball, our game ceased with us just swimming around, each trying to tackle the other.

"Ya know, I think I'd love ta live here. I mean the beach is great, there's lots o' sunshine, the air's clean… What more could a guy want, ya know?" Rothel said after a while.

"Are you serious?... Fine then, you could retire here." I suggested.

"Yea, ya know? Maybe I will." He retorted, nodding to himself about the idea.

"I'll build you a retirement home here, gramps." I joked, swimming in for the kill.

While Rothel was pondering the possibilities of settling out on the tropical island in his old age, I got the drop on him and rammed him good. "Oh, you gonna get it now, bro! Come here!" He threatened, chasing after me.

I didn't give him a chance. Maneuvering around each of his moves with my greater dexterity, I ended up making a somersault back onto the beach. Upon completion, I ended up landing right next to a certain summoner…

When Rothel popped his head up, he saw two things: One was me, with my back facing him. I was looking back over at Lenne, who was playing around with Kirin. And the other…

"L! Ya made it!" He exclaimed, flopping out of the water to go for a hug.

"Uh, I'll leave to two guys alone." I said, running back over to Lenne, Kirin, and the others. After all, I knew the guy would want to be alone with his girl.

Meanwhile, Kirin and Lenne had started chatting with Jurama and Damusa, so I made my way over and tried to join in. "Hey Shuyin. Did you have fun with Rothel?" Lenne asked me, strolling over to meet me halfway.

"Yea, I showed him I could do the really long-winded and irritating to say move that my father used to do." I told her.

"What move is that?" All present wondered aloud.

"Oh great… Okay, the Sublimely Magnificent Jecht Shot Mark III is what I just did for Rothel… or rather _to_ him." I replied, sighing at the fact that I had to say it again.

"You did the what? But that's a legend among blitzers! It never missed a goal!" Kirin gasped, cupping both hands over her mouth.

"Hey, neither did my Jecht Shot. I do it much better than my old man ever could." I returned with a grunt.

"Yea, but your dad didn't always get a goal using that move so it isn't completely invincible. Plus, you even blocked it yourself!" She offered.

"Yea, well, I've got plenty of moves that are way better than that eye sore of a special." I grumbled.

Kirin patted me on the back, "Aw, Shuyin. It's just that nobody's seen that move in almost ten years! It's kinda become a mythical thing. I know you hate your dad, but think of it like this: you can perform the so-called mythical move. That's gotta add more points to your scorecard, right?"

"Yea, Shuyin. If anyone ever said that Jecht was better than you, you just proved otherwise back there. You can do the… whatever it was Jecht Shot. That's nothing to be upset about." Lenne added with a hug, smiling at me warmly.

"… I guess you're right. I can even do the other one the old man used to use when he knew he'd lose without it." I shrugged.

"Whoa! You can do the Ultimately Surreal Jecht Shot Version 2?" Kirin wowed.

"Yes, I can do that, too…" I stated monotonously.

"Oh sorry. It's just that doing the Jecht Shot Mark III was great enough as it was, but the Jecht Shot v2? That's almost impossible! It makes the blitz ball completely invisible!" The blonde wowed again.

"It really doesn't… Actually, it's just how you kick it. You need to get the right angle on the backspin and you have to kick it hard. When it moves, the blues and whites will meld into the water, making it seem invisible. When you add the speed from the kick, it makes it very hard to spot for the goalie. That's the concept behind the Invisible Shot, after all, so all he really did was add the spin to further the _invisible_ effect. It's difficult to perform, but it still isn't all that impressive. " I stated, trying to downsize my father's moves as best I could.

His head was big enough as it was. I didn't need people gawking over his legacy after he'd been dead for over nine years. It was at that point in time that I decided I had to do something about it. At the next championship game, I would win the game with my own shot, unique solely to me. It'd be something that would cripple all wide-eyed fans of my father's techniques. If they thought those two moves were legend-worthy, mine would be utterly divine intervention…

"Damu, lusa xielg! Fa ryja inkahd hafc vnus Zanarkand!" Pally called from a distance, sounding vastly perturbed, though I knew not why. (Damu, come quick! We have urgent news from Zanarkand!)

"Right! I'm on my way!" Damu shouted as he ran toward his airship.

"Wonder what that's about." Ju muttered.

"Yea, me too…" I added, my voice drifting as I stared at the closed doorway.

"Pally said that there was some urgent news from Zanarkand! That can't be good." Kirin gasped, filling us in with a translation of the Al Bhed.

"Zanarkand? That could only mean one thing!" I stammered.

"Bevelle's attacking!" All three of us voiced in unison. Quickly, we ran toward Damu's ship and waited for his confirmation.

After a few minutes passed, the hatch opened and Damu stepped out, his face faded slightly like he'd seen an unsent. "What's going on?" I asked.

"So far… five hundred of our troops are dead… They didn't even release new of civilian losses. Bevelle brought in a… a couple of m-machina and those things… they're wiping us out!" He stuttered in between quick breaths of air.

"Okay, calm down Damu. I'll go get Larea and Rothel. You have to take us back home fast so get your head in check!" I instructed him, running off to ruin my best friend's conversation.

I found the two of them sitting on the beach, laughing about something one of them had said earlier. "T, what can I do for ya?" Rothel asked me with a joyful smile the moment I arrived.

"T? Aren't you going to call him Shuyin now? That is his real name, right?" Larea asked.

"That doesn't really matter now!" I muttered to them both, giving them a look of solemn melancholy that illustrated my news for me.

"What did Bevelle do now?" Both of them asked.

"They brought in their machina…" I quietly reiterated, looking downward, "It isn't looking good…"

They both stood up as quickly as possible and all three of us ran back to the airship. When we got there, Damu was all set to pilot us back home, hope returning the color in his face. "You ready?" I asked him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

With a nod, he said, "Buckle up! This'll be a rough ride!" We all boarded his ship and left the Al Bhed back on Besaid. My guess was that Damu didn't want Bikanel and Kresia Isles to be a scapegoat for Bevelle. He wanted to keep his friends safe.

"Pa lynavim." Pally whispered. (Be careful.)

"I am knowing you are all coming safety back to here." Akoji added, continuing to practice our form of speech.

"We will buddy! See ya soon!" Damu answered the two and off we went.

"Lennie, Aeons can beat machina, right?" Kirin inquired of my love.

"Of course! Those things don't stand a chance…" She replied, her trembling voice dissolving the confidence she had wanted to affirm.

"Yea, especially with Bahamut around. He'll rip those pieces of junk apart, no problem." I added with a half-hearted grin.

I wasn't actually sure if my statement was true. I was worried about the machina and with good reason. Bevelle was a powerhouse of war and machina was their pride and joy in battle. I didn't know why they didn't use them before, but with them there, we'd have trouble. Not only that, but the death toll had already reached a level far too high to be bearable. This war wouldn't die down anytime soon contrary to my hopes.

When we reached home, explosions echoed at the gates. Damu had the airship soar into the fray and started firing. "This thing's got weapons?" I asked, surprised.

"Well, you can run into some turbulence sometimes while carrying cargo." Damu explained.

He continued to fire at one of the machina before the left engine was hit and he began to lose control of the ship. "Everybody out! I'm gonna have to crash land this thing!" He directed us.

Everybody jumped ship, everybody except me, Lenne, and Damu. I wouldn't leave Damu to himself. I figured that when he said crash land, he'd crash land right into one of those machina, taking himself out in the process. Lenne wouldn't leave until I left and I wasn't going to let the captain go down with his airship. I made sure that Damu didn't see me while I crept up to him and sure enough, the crazy martyr headed straight for one of the pilots in the machina. As soon as the ship was within seconds of impact, I ran over and grabbed Damu.

"You're not dying anytime soon!" I shouted at him, dragging him over to the hatch.

"Tidus! Lenne! You guys shoulda left the ship by now!" He screamed back at me.

"I knew you'd pull a stunt like this so I made sure to stay!" I yelled back, taking Lenne's hand and leaping out of the vessel.

All three of us cleared the flaming mass just as it rammed the machina head on, causing both vehicles to explode. The blazing remains managed to take out a few of the surrounding soldiers, scattering the rest. I landed first and caught Lenne before her feet hit the ground. Damu was being kept up by my other hand, the one that was still grasping his shirt.

"Now, get to safety! Either that or grab a gun and start shooting!" I instructed our pilot, running off with Lenne to greet the enemy.

Lenne began casting Black Magic left and right. Meanwhile, I whipped out my trusty sword and ran straight through their ranks, cutting them up before they could get their bearings. They were too busy dealing with me to have capability enough to pay attention to the beautiful summoner, still striking down on them with thunderbolts and igniting the earth beneath their feet. And to add to our favor, these new soldiers didn't realize that I wasn't afraid of their bullets so I had to show them just how little those chunks of molten metal intimidated me. As the shots came, I located several possible targets and sent the wave of ammunition right back at them.

"Killing your own doesn't strike me as a wise maneuver." I sneered at Bevelle's _finest_. Once again I tried to distract them with their pride.

They weren't very good at hiding that and as such, it was their fatal weakness. "What's wrong? I hurt your feelings?" I jeered with a devious smirk.

While I got them all heated, Lenne truly lit the fire under them, scorching her mark with Flare. We smiled to one another for the brief moment we weren't trapped amidst the crossfire.

That moment proved truly evanesce as the second machina came at us, artillery ablaze. Firing missiles, I narrowly dodged the explosions of its tremendous ammunition. It also forced me away from Lenne, stray shells splattering dirt and dust all around, shrouding the Calm Lands in a fog. I was separated from her by a substantial distance and more soldiers piled in to keep it that way. I kept up my attack in hopes of reuniting with her, hacking away at all the opposition. Being so close, the soldiers gave up on firing at me for fear of hitting their own in the process. Instead, they raised the blades of their weapons and charged. I blocked one blow to my left, ducked while pulling to my right, and used my position to trip the four around him, stopping their steady advances and sending their bodies straight into the cavalry behind. Finally, I gave slightly in my block, causing my original foe to lose his balance and falter in misstep. Hurriedly, I shoved him back and stabbed him in the gut once our weapons were unclashed. When the rest regained their footing, I was gesturing with my hand, signaling them to continue their front. They complied, though far less eagerly, lashing out with everything they had for fear that any hesitation would cost them. I allowed a few of them to take out their own friends, tripping them as they came to me and making them fall right into the next, blades drawn. The machina wouldn't attack either me or Lenne at the current moment due to the simple fact that it would more than likely blow apart its own allies rather than kill either of us.

Amidst the fray, I was suddenly back-to-back with a familiar face… "Galte! Hey, when did you get here?" I asked, in between parries.

"Galte come when ronso see explosion from Gagazet mountain. Galte and ronso's five mightiest warriors come to help. Ronso not like Bevelle. Bevelle cause too much destruction and disturb peace of Spira. Bevelle must be stopped! Ronso help fight to save delicate balance. Ronso save Zanarkand." He replied, in the middle of a few savage slashes of his claws.

"Good to know. Now, let's teach these losers why they shouldn't mess with us!" I exclaimed, hacking away at a few more soldiers.

While the two of us fought Bevelle's military forces, a strange creature attacked. "What is that?" I shouted to Galte, staring wide-eyed at the seemingly blade-limbed creature.

"It is fiend! It given name Espada!" He shouted back to me, a bit of fear spilling from his booming voice.

"That's a fiend! What's happened to Spira? The fiend's look more like demons everyday." I gasped.

I slashed at the fiend with my sword to test its power and it blocked easily with a claw. Like the mad beast it was, it reared back with an angry growl and lunged forward in a flurry, forcing me to jump out of its way, inadvertently allowing it to tackle a few soldiers and start feeding on their living bodies. It was then I saw Galte call for an edged staff, a lance, and made a sturdy tap on the ground with it. Instantly, a few pyreflies flew out of the fiend and into the white lion.

"What was that?" I observed, interest and intrigue gleaming off my eyes.

"This ronso skill. Galte heal himself by taking life from fiend. Sometimes, ronso learn fiend's secret." He explained.

"Well, whatever you did, it just got the thing's attention!" I informed, dodging a claw as the beast came at me.

Galte focused for a moment and shot some kind of dark cloud at the Espada, causing it to stop its onslaught to bat away the darkness. I used that stall to leap onto it, embedding my sword into the thing's skull up to the hilt, twisting it a few times until it faltered and finally fell, dissipating into a swarm of pyreflies. Following through, I slashed at a soldier who wasn't paying attention and took him down without any effort.

"Hey, can you use that suck-the-life-out-of-somebody trick on these guys?" I pondered, relishing the thought of what skill Galte could learn off them.

"Yes, but ronso cannot learn from puny humans." He responded, much to my chagrin. Well, I could agree that nothing valuable would come from these guys, but it was still a plus to be able to leech off the losers.

Moving away from Galte as I felt the blood in my veins surge, I got ready for my overdrive. There were plenty of soldiers around and so Hit and Run would be the perfect choice in that situation. I ran through them, whipping my sword around and around, taking down at least a dozen of them in one fell sweep. The stunt set me on my own again far from even a single battalion of Zanarkand's phalanx, but it didn't matter. I could take care of myself. Although, I should have been worried about where a certain brunette summoner was as something hinted me to danger. I looked around and saw only opposing forces around me. The machina had gone off to blast away at what I guessed were some of our people. I'd have to find a way to stop it. First, however, I'd have to build a path to it by eliminating these imbeciles standing in my way. They started to open fire and I got ready to send the rounds right back as per usual. Each bullet flew off my saber and straight into another of Bevelle. Those fools still didn't understand that I couldn't be stopped by that tactic, especially with their sub par marksmanship. I swiftly made my way near the machina and sized it up carefully. If I could take out the pilot, I wouldn't even need to worry about taking out the machina. I jumped up and stabbed its leg with my sword to use the hilt as a hold, swinging onto the front end of the weapon while making sure to pull out my edge while I flew. The pilot was surprised at seeing an unannounced passenger and took out his gunblade to make my acquaintance. I easily lashed off his arm in rejection of the kind gesture. After screaming in pain, he pushed some kind of button on the machina and tried to attack me with his other arm, blood oozing from the grievous wound I had given him. I simply stabbed him through the neck and attempted to take control of the machina following my tossing his carcass off my _boat_. If I could use it, I'd make even shorter work of Bevelle's forces, ravaging them with their own toy. Suddenly, the machina rumbled and sank slightly, warning siring going off. The soldier must have hit some kind of self-destruct button from before. As fast as I could, I cleared the machina, the blast sending me flying into a few of the scattered squadron members on the ground. When I got up, I realized that the troops I fell on had fallen themselves, knocking over their teammates behind them who were unfortunately holding out their weapons at the time. With dead bodies piled on top of them, the infantry who had inadvertently killed them were trapped. I stepped on one of the dead bodies and smiled down at the trapped soldiers.

"Guess you boys are all tucked in and ready for a nap." I mused, slapping the flat side of my blade at their faces and knocking each of them out cold.

A scream took my attention to my left, a sound that pierced the discord in the Calm Lands. I saw Kirin and noticed that she had been shot in the leg, her blood seeping onto the already soaked grasslands, mixing with the crimson blanket formed from the lost lives of a thousand innocent souls. A few feet over, Lenne was cornered by a lot of men, all ready for the kill. Her blood-stained clothing made for the most fitting of targets.

"LENNE!" I screamed, moving off the pile I was on.

Suddenly, I felt a tug on my foot and fell to the ground roughly. Apparently, I hadn't knocked all of those guys out and one of them had managed to free his arm from under his fallen comrades to halt me from going to my love's rescue. I couldn't get to Lenne and Kirin was in a jam, too.

"No! Lenne!" I screamed again, despair and fear building within.

I watched on as the soldiers lifted their weapons, revealing devilish grins growing wider with each second. I couldn't save them… Even if I were to free myself, I'd be too late by then.

"LENNE!" I yelled a third time, staring at the scene before me with anxiety pulsating through my heart.

Kirin was about to die… Lenne was about to die… And I couldn't do anything to change it… The two people who were closest to me out of everybody in all of Spira were about to be shot dead right in front of my eyes and all I could do was watch…

Then, at the last second, when I thought all hope was gone, a shot rang out in the distance, reverberating a new hope. It didn't come from any of the soldiers around either Lenne or Kirin. In fact, the trajectory pointed back in the direction of Bevelle itself. As I, as well as, the two of them looked on, one of the soldiers near Lenne suddenly dropped, blood leaking from his head as he convulsed on the ground. As the dead man continued to writhe in shock, Lenne gasped at the horrid sight while the rest of the enemy units nervously surveyed the area. More shots came and each of the soldiers fell, still uneasily searching for their stealthy enemy until the very last and too slow to fire shots of their own when they seemed to have figured out the culprit. I took the moment to decapitate the one who was holding my leg and free myself. Quickly, I got back to my feet and started running to my love. With all the shots fired and blood shed, she'd gone into a stupor, sinking to the floor while she trembled at the terrible sight of all the dead soldiers surrounding her, eyes blankly staring.

Before I could reach her, though, she was offered another hand, one I was definitely surprised to see. He had disheveled blue hair and red, bloodshot eyes. The paleness of his skin was accented only by the bulging veins that decorated his forehead. With his gunblade in hand, still fuming from the execution earlier, he extended his services to my love.

"Areth?" I muttered beneath my breath.

The one who'd murdered me and Lenne in my dreams; the one who had been called mad by his own best friend; the one who'd been undoubtedly unstable ever since the end of the championship game, was… saving my Lenne?


	21. Chapter 20

_Chapter 20: Calm Before the Storm_

"Hello, Tidus." Areth purred, glancing at me before returning to Lenne. Gently kissing her on her hand, he continued to say, "M'lady… I do hope you haven't been made too distressed."

"But how? Why?" I muttered, surprised that the one I thought was my enemy had just saved the woman I loved.

"Always ready to help a friend in need…" He simply replied, looking at me with confident and calm eyes.

I still couldn't believe it. Areth was a part of Bevelle. He should have been helping those soldiers kill Lenne and Kirin, yet he saved them while I wasn't able. He had killed his own to rescue an enemy.

"So, I'm sure you're very confused at seeing the two of us, eh?" A voice sounded in the distance, announcing its presence. I turned to meet its owner and saw another familiar face, this being the same one who'd told me of Areth's instability.

"Kai? What's going on? Why are you guys helping us stay alive?" I asked the blitzer, "Shouldn't you be wishing for the day you could dance on our graves or something?"

"Well, it was Areth's idea. He said he didn't want to see Zanarkand fall. He said that Bevelle wasn't doing the right thing by starting this mess and I agreed with him. That's why we're here. We wanna help." He explained, offering a sincere smile.

I uneasily nodded, still not fully believing their story, a grievous side effect of being in offense against their home. I made my way over to Kirin and helped her to her feet once her unique potion healed her wounds.

"Are you okay?" I asked her, checking for signs of permanent damage. She nodded slightly and looked past me, sharing my confusion in her gaze. "Yea, they said they're here to help." I relayed Kai's word to her.

"Aren't those two from Bevelle, though?" She asked, her speech giving away her perplexity.

"Yea… The guy with the blue hair is Areth and the other guy is, his best friend, Kai. Apparently, they don't like this war as much as we don't." I replied.

Soon after, we were rejoined by the two of them, Lenne following suit. "So, you trust us?" Kai asked, offering a hand.

"For now, I don't see a reason why not." I requited, extending my hand to welcome them.

Together, the five of us reentered the battlefield. After Areth and Kai had taken down those other guys, none had come to take their place as it appeared Bevelle was ransacking the northwest wall instead. We actually had to travel some distance in order to find anybody else to fight. Both of our new Bevelle allies wielded gunblades that were more on the blade side than the rest. The two of them made short work of their former teammates and it seemed that they were indeed trustworthy. Kai had done nothing for me to distrust and he seemed to have renewed faith in his best friend. I felt there was no need to be cautious about the sudden desertion despite its impeccable timing. Some minutes into the battle, I finally chose to stop standing there like an idiot and actually help out. As if to follow my lead, Lenne began to summon something and Kirin ran with me to help out the two. At that moment, Kai began having trouble with a few of his foes, being that they were starting to fire at him by keeping their distance from his rapier. He was hit in the leg and fell to the ground, effectively slowing his counterattacks. I moved in and deflected what would have been a fatal shot to the face of my new friend, swatting it into another soldier standing close by, ready to cut into Kai should the shot not do him in.

"Thanks, Tidus. I didn't want my debut on your side to end that quickly." He joked, allowing me to get him back to his feet. Lenne cast a Cura spell on his leg injury and returned to casting Black Magic on other nearby aggressors. She had summoned Kinok to help out and the earth-element Aeon made quite the impact on Bevelle. Using its various spells, Kinok buried a group of soldiers in a chasm and smacked whoever else was left with its armored tail. It didn't take too long for us to remove the threat to Zanarkand, especially following the destruction of both machina.

Later on, after Bevelle had retreated for the second time I'd witnessed, the remaining troops of Zanarkand set up camp to rest up until the next attack. Kirin had gone to find Ju and the others while Lenne and I remained as hosts for the two defecting Jowiles. Meanwhile, in the distance, I could hear many voices singing what Lenne had taught them before, the new song of victory:

I e yu i

No bo me no

Re n mi ni

Yo ju yo go

Ha se te ka na e

Ku ta ma e

"What is that?" Areth asked, having never heard the melody.

"Yea, what are those guys singing over there?" Kai added, not knowing that it was our way of making fun of Bevelle's losses.

"I hope you guys don't take offense, but…" I started to say.

"I made it up to celebrate Zanarkand's victories. It pays respect to those lost in battle and gives hope to those still living that Zanarkand has a chance…" Lenne continued.

"And we use it to mock Bevelle's failures." I admitted, not wanting to hide the facts just because they were from Bevelle.

Lenne finished our explanation, "My apologies if it displeases you. It would be understandable."

"It sounds lovely, m'lady." Areth purred, making a slight smile at my songstress.

I didn't expect Kai or Areth to feel comfortable about that song. It was being sung to spite Bevelle, the place of their birth. "Guys, you don't have to listen if you don't want to. We could leave right now." I offered, feeling sympathy towards them.

"Nah, it's… catchy." Kai insisted, a hint of melancholy in his voice as he tried to smile.

"I e yu i…" He began to sing.

"Are you sure about this?" Lenne and I asked together.

With a reassuring smile, both Areth and Kai sang the rest of the song happily, celebrating Zanarkand's victory as their own victory. I could see how strongly they felt when they joined our cause.

When it got into the afternoon hours, we went to find Kirin, Rothel, Ju, Damu, Larea, and Galte so that we could all go hang out for the rest of the day and make proper introductions. At first, Galte didn't accept the two deserters of Bevelle.

He had growled, "Galte not trust Bevelle. Areth and Kai from Bevelle. Galte not trust them. Areth and Kai liars and great threat they make to Zanarkand."

However, Areth found a way to ease even the Ronso's hard heart with his smooth words, "I know that Bevelle hasn't been up to anything good. Believe me, they never were and it sickened me greatly. Just trust in this: Kai and I, we are Bevelle no more. Let it be known this day: Bevelle's evil will no longer taint these two; let Zanarkand thrive everlasting!"

Not even Galte's stubbornness could keep up after those words. Areth just sounded too sincere and steadfast and the way he had sung Zanarkand's victory song from before, he couldn't possibly be masking deception. Not only that, but Kai trusted him and I had no doubt in my mind that Kai was honest. The last time we spoke, he gave me nothing to doubt in his sincerity.

"So what ya guys wanna do? I'ma bit hungry, ya know? You guys up for some grub?" Rothel asked as we continued walking around aimlessly.

"I'm a little hungry myself." Kai added.

"Yea, me too." Kirin followed, putting a hand on her stomach.

"So let's stop talking about our hunger and go get something to eat already." I suggested. With everybody craving some eats, we continued onward and eventually found some fast food place.

To tell the truth, I really had no hunger in me then. I was too preoccupied with the day's prior events. First and foremost was Lenne and Kirin's near death experience. I still couldn't shake the fear and despair I felt when I thought they were about to die. Kirin meant everything to me. When my mother died, not long after my father's "disappearance", it was Kirin who got me out of my depression. I hated my father, yes, but I loved my mother deeply. She was all I really had growing up. When she died, I threw all that on Kirin. If I were to lose her, I'd probably go back to sulking and hating the world. Then, there was Lenne. I loved her with all my heart regardless of my inability to admit it to her. If she was taken from me, well, the reaction in my first dream seemed accurate enough. I'd go ballistic! The loss would fill me with blind rage and unadulterated psychosis. I think I'd lose my mind from the stress. Those two, they were all that kept me the kind of person I am. To lose them, I could never forgive myself and then there would be no salvation for my dark soul…

Secondly, those newcomers were in my head. I didn't know what was going on in their minds, but I was sure they'd need a friend in this new, foreign environment. I knew that if situations were reversed, I'd really appreciate someone there to help me ease in the nuances of being in a widely different land.

"I'll have the fish sandwich." Ju said, pointing at a picture of the item, "No meal, lots of tartar sauce, and make it crispy."

I suddenly realized I'd been staring at Areth the whole time I was thinking about Lenne and Kirin, lost in the void of my fathoms. "Oh sorry, Areth." I apologized, "Didn't mean to stare at you like that."

"Oh, it's perfectly alright, Tidus…" He retorted, giving me a grin before putting up his order.

"Hey, T, you're up!" Kirin chirped once he finished, walking off to speak with Kai.

"Thanks for the secrecy." I whispered to Kirin as I brushed past, realizing that both Areth and Kai still knew me to be Tidus and Tidus alone.

I probably would want to wait until later on to tell them that I was really Shuyin. They had my confidence, but not my faith. Areth gazed at us and I thought there was something there, but brushed it off as mindless paranoia.

"Uh, I'll take the Puzina." I said, pointing at the stuffed roll. It was one of my favorites when it came to fast food, a roll packed with bell peppers, sautéed beef, and parsley.

"Is that all you're going to eat?" Lenne asked, forever concerned about my well-being.

"Why? It's enough." I replied, looking at her. I knew it really wasn't enough and normally, when I had the chance to sit and eat, I'd order a lot more, but again, I really wasn't thinking about food.

"Er… okay, add on an order of Red Tuna and an alchem-cola." I said, giving in. After all, if I didn't eat, Lenne would be thinking about me too much to eat herself.

"So what made ya guys switch sides? Bevelle couldn'ta treated ya that bad, ya know? What got you guys out?" Rothel asked while stuffing his face full.

"Hey, Bevelle can kiss my ass for all I care about it anymore. I mean, I loved it before, but starting up a war because Zanarkand had us beat in economy? That's just stupid and I wouldn't have anymore of it." Kai explained with an angry grunt.

Figured I was right about Bevelle. They were jealous of the grand look Zanarkand had. It was the city that never slept, after all. There was entertainment wherever you looked and round the clock. And not only that, but the entire city was prosperous. Even our poorest areas were richer than some whole cities on Spira. It didn't surprise me a bit that a cold city like Bevelle would be a little envious.

"So, they started this war because Zanarkand is more attractive of a city?" I asked, rhetorically, also huffing at the Spartan insanity.

"Bevelle doesn't major its funding on the commercial side of things. Bevelle puts more of its resources into arms technology and research. When it comes to brute strength, Bevelle is top gun." Areth inputted, "Of course, that doesn't add much revenue back into the Gross Product Attribute."

"Yea, well, that don't give them the right ta pound on us wit them war machina. Zanarkand's a peaceful city. We ain't been ta war in how many centuries? Now, them bozos wanna start wit us?" Rothel growled angrily, crushing his sandwich.

"Take it easy, bro. Bevelle chose to attack us on their own accord. We can't think about it like they're Zanarkand's people. That city loves war. It thrives on it. Like Areth just said, it utilizes its resources in that direction. Now, it's our turn to face off against them. Let's just try and teach them a lesson about picking on others, okay?" I appeased, trying to calm my best friend.

"Yea, you right, Tidus. So, what up wit the rest of ya?" Rothel inquired.

"Huh? Oh, like I'm paying attention to your grumbling. I'm chatting with Ju and Damu over here, _bro_." Kirin responded, ending with a giggle.

"Larea was just telling me about her latest Aeon." Lenne added, "That's why we weren't taking part in your discussion. I'm sorry if we missed anything important."

"Nah, you didn't miss anything except Rothel getting sandwich stuffing all over himself." I replied with a laugh.

Rothel looked to the hand that crushed his sandwich and groaned. It was smothered in all the sauces, meat, and veggies that used to reside in those two slices of bread.

"You overreact just a tad too much, but at least you can say you've got the best seasoned fist in all the land." I teased, putting out my fingers and sizing up the amount of his over-exaggerated yet decidedly delectable end result. Everyone got a good laugh out of it.

"So anyway, they took up this war on account of economic standing alone?" I asked Areth, wanting to delve deeper into the subject for a better understanding.

Kai chose to answer first, "Well, there were also rumors that Maester Mikala has some other agenda, but…"

"It's only hearsay." Areth finished.

"I see… Well, if it was something, what do you suppose it was?" I continued.

"Some say he has a plan to take over Spira… Then again, others are saying there's a secret manuscript in Zanarkand that he wants to get his hands on." Kai retorted.

"Wow, it sounds so mysterious now." I said, taking interest in the rumors.

"Well, as I said, it is only hearsay. What's important is that Bevelle is at war with Zanarkand and we need to stop them!" Areth pointed out. With nods of understanding both of us agreed.

When we left, I figured Areth and Kai would be pretty lost, what with being in Zanarkand on the same level as a tourist. They'd have to get used to the new surroundings and I figured that me and Lenne could show them around.

"So how about it? If you guys are gonna be sticking around, you might wanna get to know this place a little better, right?" I asked.

"I would love to…" Areth replied smoothly, walking next to me.

"Well, I guess if it isn't any trouble, sure! All I know is where the blitz stadium is. Six years ago, we had a game with you guys here. Unless you guys moved it, I think I can find it." Kai added.

"So you want to see the blitz stadium first?" I returned, "It's gone under several renovations over the years."

"Sure, let's check it out!" He answered.

"I could show them the Jecht Shot!" Lenne suggested to me on the side, "I don't think they'd expect me to have that ability."

"Yea! Hey, you guys are in for a treat. You know, if you want, maybe we could get in a two-on-two blitz game." I put on the table.

"That would be wonderful." Areth purred, giving Lenne that familiar smirk. I still didn't like that look of his. Something about it just sent me the wrong message regardless of his goodwill.

We got to the blitz stadium rather quickly, Kai leading the way quite confidently. "Yup, still the same place. You know, this'll be the first time Areth here's seen this. He was injured when we had that game back then." He said, recounting past years, "Poor guy, he was already practicing your Jecht Shot back then. Water under the bridge, huh?"

We entered the building and ran into that rookie I was thinking about earlier, the one who hadn't yet made it into the inner circle: Haru. "Hey there! You just finished training?" I asked him, showing a friendly face to, hopefully, ease his nerves about approaching the rest of the Abes and I.

"Uh, yea…" He stammered, glancing at Areth and then at Kai.

He must have been confused as to why two people dressed in Bevelle garb were here freely perusing Zanarkand. I think that earlier, Kirin had explained to the guy at the fast food place that they were on our side, but Haru wouldn't know anything about that, shown by his withdrawal.

"Don't worry about it. These guys are on our side now." I informed as he continued to stare.

"Yes, we're all on the same side here." Areth added smoothly, looking at Haru with a comforting gaze.

Kai had a funny look on his face, but I brushed it off as a simple case of mistaken identity. And who knows, maybe Kai had seen Haru someplace. As large as Spira was, it wasn't _that_ big.

"Well, I don't wanna keep you. I'll see ya around, Haru." I said with a wave and proceeded to the Sphere Pool.

I hoped Haru left it on so I wouldn't have to reactivate it, but why would he. Luckily, though, the pool was up and running as I'd desired. The guy must have just forgotten to shut it off before he left. Thank you, rookie mistake.

I walked over first and noticed some clothing strewn across the floor. "Oh great… Please tell me no one is using that thing for… other… kinds… of… practice…" I groaned, looking away with a sigh.

"I think I see somebody in there. Maybe we should come back a little later." Lenne suggested, cheeks colored a beet red from the thought.

Kai and Areth just snickered and walked back out with the two of us, shoving and poking fun at each other. "Guess we'll just have to wait for them to finish." I said, hanging my head as the mental pictures complete with mental sounds started to play in my mind.

"Guess so…" Lenne followed up shyly.

Kai patted me on the back and said, "Well, seems to me, we better go somewhere a little less hardcore." I nodded with an immediate blush.

We made our way to a lounge that the guys and I usually hung around when we were done with practice or sometimes for pep talks before a really tough game. Lenne went to go change into some blitz gear so that she wouldn't get her regular stuff wet, considering it was meant for the stage, appearances, and performances, not sport. By this time, Kirin had long since gotten Lenne some new training gear so she could practice blitz without using Vena's old gear.

"So, how long you think they'll be?" Kai asked with another snicker, breaking the momentary silence since Lenne's departure.

"Please… I'd rather not think about it if you wouldn't mind." I groaned, rubbing my temples.

"Tidus, don't tell me you're a virgin. I would have never guessed it." Areth said with a wide grin, sending a cockeyed glare to hint at his impending bemusement.

I decided to spoil his fun, returning his arrogance, "Hey, I'll be a virgin that can wipe the floor with you at blitz any day!"

"Is that so?" Areth answered, returning with a smirk of his own. It was the same as always, but I guess that the guy just always smiled that way. I'd just have to get used to it.

"Me and my boy, Areth here, we'll beat you two. I mean, after all, your last victory was just a fluke." Kai chimed in.

"A fluke, eh? Lenne, we'll show them a fluke, right?" I stated, turning to her when I noticed her return. This was all familiar to me, being that a part of the Tidus personality I'd made was an extreme braggart, the kind needed for blitz.

However, Lenne wasn't one to realize this stipulation of our sport. "Uh, well, maybe…" She shyly replied.

I smiled at her naiveté. This wasn't her forte. "Eh, no problem. We'll beat them!" I continued in order to cover for her.

After a few more minutes, we finally decided that we should check up on whoever it was in the Sphere Pool and see if they were done. Kai patted me on the back while pushing me forward into the direction of the pool. I wasn't too anxious about meeting the _happy couple_.Well, more over, I didn't want to because I had a feeling it wasn't going to be the B-string players in there. Yup, it was going to be another Kirin episode…

"Hey T-man!" Kion said, as he put his shirt back on. My eyes were still wide from moments ago when we had just entered. Kai had shoved me straight into the guy while he was still working on putting on his boxers. Suffice it to say, I felt a strong need to shower.

"You know, the Sphere Pool isn't meant for what you were doing in there." I stammered, my cheeks faintly red as I slowly began to breath again.

"Don't worry, I cleaned my mess." He said with a chuckle. I really didn't have to know that…

Looking around for any buffer, I noticed that someone else was on the other side of the stadium and decided to get Kion's new girlfriend to come out of hiding. When I reached the other side, my jaw dropped at the sight. Vena was sitting over a few feet, pulling on her boots.

"Don't tell me…" I started.

"Yea, me and Kion are dating." She replied with a sigh.

"You and Kion? I'd never think that… and you guys… w-with the… No! Mental picture!" I shouted, smacking the side of my head to get the image of Kion and Vena together out of my mind. By the way, I was mostly joking by then, but they wouldn't have figured that out.

"Oh grow up, Tidus. You're dating that Lenne. Did you think everybody just lived by themselves and only you could find love?" She said with exasperation.

I apologized and added, "It's not that. I just never thought it would be you and Kion. The two of you are polar opposites and I just never would have coupled you two. I mean, remember how you two first met? You know, the whole, 'hey there, hot pants' and 'you're such a pig!'"

Vena got her boot on and I offered a hand. "Plus, I've never had that 'thing' with Lenne yet." I continued, while pulling her up.

"You mean to tell me that a guy like you hasn't…" She started to say, but then began to understand the look in my eyes, "Oh wow, you really haven't… Don't worry, Tidus. It should happen naturally. Besides, this means you really love this girl. I mean Rothel's got that other summoner girl… I really should get to know her a little better. Anyway, he's told me that they've never been together and you _know_ how Rothel is." Vena said in her usual "console the poor shlub" manner. Personally, I didn't really care about that stuff. I guess that when you fake your life to so many people, it just ends up making them think you're someone you aren't.

"Anyway, about 'first impressions', they're highly overrated." She added in response to my other statement, "Well, I gotta get going. Me and Kion are checking out this new movie at the Sphere Dome."

Meeting up with Kion, the couple made their exit. I stood there for a little bit, taking in what had happened and what kind of person my friends thought of me, smiling to myself at what other possibilities they had come up with.

A few minutes later, the four of us, Areth, Kai, Lenne, and me, were swimming in the Sphere Pool. "Are you ready, Tidus?" Areth asked, smirking.

"Don't worry about me; I'm always ready." I returned, sending my own smirk his way.

The blitzball shot up through the water and both of us swam to grab it. This time, Areth got the ball. Using his quick reflexes, he rocketed towards the goal. Lenne decided to stop him in his tracks, swimming up right in front of him and trying to steal the ball. Unfortunately, her idea of stealing the ball wasn't very productive. I smiled sympathetically as she tried to lunge forward and grab the ball from Areth, the star of Bevelle maneuvering around each fruitless attempt. At least she got the guy distracted so her approach wasn't all bad. Kai tried to keep me from interfering with Areth and Lenne, but I easily moved around his block, my agility being much more honed than his. I got to Areth and, as he moved away from another of Lenne's grabs, I reached out and snatched the ball right from under his nose.

"Lenne! Show 'em what you can do!" I exclaimed, passing her the ball.

With a nod, she swam upward rapidly, spun sideways in a twirling dance, and kicked the ball at the goal. With me near Areth, I kept him from doing anything to catch the ball. However, Kai was aware of my plan and got to position just as the ball came, pegging it with a back-arm. It came toward his partner, but with me around, it was difficult for him to secure the pass and so I took the opportunity to receive the pass for him. So far, we'd been near our goal so I sent the ball soaring with a sidewinder kick, giving it all of my momentum. It sped towards the goal, but Areth had taken his open position to swim into place and catch my shot before it could collide with the field. The sheer inertia sent him back some, but his mass was enough to stop a score from being made, regardless.

"You're good Tidus, but we're no amateurs." Kai declared, swimming toward his goal and looking back for the pass.

Areth swam to a clear enough area and sent the ball on its way, finally completing a pass for his team as Kai caught it and went in for the point. Lenne followed up, again trying to grab the ball. This time, she accidentally kicked him in the gut on one of her attempts and slowed him down, the most effective unintentional tackle if I ever saw one. However, with the stamina he had, a simple kick wouldn't cause him to forfeit the possible score and he kept going, ducking under Lenne and rushing for the shot. As much as my love wanted, she couldn't stop him from getting in the first goal for the Jowile's side. The score was a 1-0 starter, their lead.

The next blitz off, Lenne took my place and Kai did the same for Areth. Surprisingly, although she was the underdog, she managed to take the ball from Kai. Of course, I think I saw Kai purposely slip-up to help level the playing field for my songstress. She swam over toward our goal as fast as she could, but Areth caught up and blocked her path. Fortunately, I was also around and made a pass right on her left side, getting the ball and slipping past the best of Bevelle.

"Too slow, Areth ol' boy." I mocked, looking back with the blitz ball outstretched to taunt.

He started coming toward me, but I tossed the ball over his head and got it back to Lenne. "Lenne! Jecht Shot!" I shouted, going back into a defensive position to keep Areth away so she wouldn't foul from his distraction.

Lenne bumped the ball with her head and soared over the Sphere Pool, starting a back-flip. She hit the Jecht Shot perfectly once more and it went sailing into our goal. Kai tried to pull off my move when I faced Areth's Jecht Shot, but on the back spin-kick, he missed the ball and it landed us a 1-1 score.

Continuing off, me and Kai were at it, going for the ball. I swatted it away and into Lenne's arms as she started swimming to the goal. I kept Kai busy, circling around him every now and then. He was too pre-occupied with me to even think about getting to my partner. Lenne somehow dodged Areth's tackle, something I was glad about. If he hit her, I'd have to kill him, this more so due to the fact that I was sure he was using a third level Venom Tackle. She got in a diagonally upward position from the goal. Areth came up from behind, but she had anticipated it, pushing her hands against his shoulders and allowing the ball to float to her feet as she did. Then, using Areth, she sprung forth and struck the ball with her legs.

"Kirin's move?" I asked no one in particular. I hadn't known that Kirin taught Lenne that move. In any case, it sunk us a second goal.

"Hey, how about one more and we call it a day?" Kai asked as the two of us watched Lenne and Areth ready themselves face-to-face, waiting for the ball to be launched.

"What, you're tired already?" I mused, smirking at him with my head held high.

"Well, I figure that being around a half hour to nine, you'd wanna call it a day." He replied.

"It's how late?" I asked, not realizing that we'd spent so much of the afternoon waltzing up to the stadium and then waiting for Kion and Vena in the lounge. Each day just passed so quickly. It was already nearing the time to pack it in.

I decided to agree with Kai and finish up the game with the next point. I noticed that Areth got the ball and was swimming towards the goal. Kai started following so I decided that I'd rather end this little game on a 3-1 rather than on a tie. Using my speed, I got in front of Areth and Lenne was slowly coming up behind Kai. While making my way in front of Areth, I grabbed the ball and started spinning it on my finger, the spin slowed by the density of the water.

"Tidus, why don't you try something original? I've seen the Jecht Shot so many times, frankly, it's become a bore to watch." Areth goaded, giving me a look of mock boredom, adding to it with a yawn.

"Oh, so you want something surprising, eh, something _sublime_?" I asked with a fiendish smirk, "How's about this!"

I dropped the ball and performed a typical kick. It hit straight into Kai, bounced off and came back to me. I punched it at Areth, letting it bounce off his arm and back to me. Finally, I kicked it up and corkscrewed upward.

"No, it can't be! That's your father's move! It's the Sublimely Magnificent…" Kai stammered, gawking once he got his bearings back.

"… Jecht Shot…" Areth continued, equally dazed.

I kicked the ball and it zoomed right past Areth and into the goal, "… Mark III."

The score finished at my desired 3-1 and it was time to call it a day.

"I didn't know you could do that!" Kai wowed at me as we exited the Sphere Pool.

"I'm just full of surprises, aren't I?" I replied with a smile.

"You sure are…" Areth purred, sauntering up behind us, offering me the same awkward gaze he'd given when I visited Bevelle a couple of months ago.

Lenne had gone ahead to shower and get her normal clothing back on.

"Besides, if my old man can, why shouldn't I be able to?" I challenged, wanting to know just what the big deal was about that dumb third-rate shot I pulled off from earlier.

"Well, it is the single most legendary shot to ever grace blitzball." Kai said in a very matter-of-factly tone.

"Untrue… There was another Jecht Shot that could make the ball invisible and therefore, completely unblockable." Areth corrected, looking at me from the corner of his eye.

I grunted at their conversation. Those two were just as bad as any of my dad's old fans. I mean they knew there was no Mark I or II, but they paid hundreds of thousands of gil just to make it to the games live to see if he'd use a Mark I or II. As for me, my fans come to see me because I'm the absolute best around. Even my father lost his earlier games. When I joined up at the ripe age of thirteen, the Zanarkand Abes were invincible. Of course, it wasn't all me, but I helped some. Plus, unlike my father, my performance of the Jecht Shot was never blocked. His rookie move, but it did score him a few victories early on until it was blocked, head-on, by a husky ronso, Hall of Fame goalie of the Ronso Fangs. However, the speed he got on the ball was nothing compared to the speed I could give it. In fact, his speed would probably be that of Lenne's and she's not even a blitzer.

"Well, it's getting to a quarter to ten. We should probably start looking for a hotel or something to stay at." Kai yawned, ready to wave goodbye to me and Lenne.

"Hold on a second! You guys are permanent residents to Zanarkand now. What say you stay with me for the time being? I mean, even a five star hotel can't beat a star blitzer's home, right?" I asked, looking towards Areth.

If anyone knew that, he did. I remember going to his house and seeing all that decorum. Areth's house was much flashier than mine, but regardless, the luxuries were most likely the same. "Tidus is right. My house is a lot better than even the highest quality hotels in Bevelle." He reasoned to his friend.

"Yea, but our hotels really blow." Came the response.

"Yea, well, trust me. As good as the Zanarkand hotels are, my home's accommodations are that much better." I suggested with a pat to his shoulder.

With the prodding of both his best friend and I, he shrugged and gave in. We walked Lenne back to her house and we said our goodnights. The walk back to my house was short and pretty quiet. My guess was that those two former citizens of Bevelle were a little homesick. It didn't surprise me. I don't think I'd like to be away from Zanarkand and totally abandon it to side with its sworn enemy, either.

"We're here!" I announced, displaying my home for the two of them to see.

"C'mon, I'm beat. From the battle this morning to the blitz game just an hour before, I'm really drained." I continued, taking off my shirt and heading for my shower, "You two can roam around and find any guest room that you think you'd like to stay in."

Reaching my shower, I threw my shirt into the hamper and got my pants in, too. I had an entire closet full of garments and it was about time I washed that set. I turned on the water and entered, washing my hair and such. Mostly, I was just taking a shower because those images of Kion and Vena weren't going away, and we were swimming around in the pool and all. So what if the pool had a state-of-the-art filtration system? My front was brushed up against Kion's crotch! At that lovely memory, I began to scrub more vigorously, grimacing to try and rid the vision. Once I was sure my skin was Kion-free, I took a long breath, taking in all that had happened. Sighing to collect myself, I turned off the shower, dried myself, and opened the door.

"Oh, h-hi Areth! You want to use the shower?" I asked in surprise, having not expected to open the door to anyone.

"Uh, yes. I think I am in need of some cleansing." He said, a weird smile on his face as he glanced at me. It was just strange because it was a little goofy looking, the way his eyes glimmered like a happy little boy, but reserved at the same time, his serene composure everlastingly fitted to his face.

"It's all yours." I waved, walking past him to my bedroom.

I fell asleep rather quickly, the fatigue of the day's events seeping my consciousness into the world of dreams… I found myself in Bevelle, sword in hand and in the dark. Areth was opposite me, his gunblade gleaming off the moonlight. We were face-to-face and blanketed in a light fog. Suddenly, he raised his weapon and fired one single shot at me. I lifted my arm to block the shot with my sword as I'd always done since learning the skill from Takuma, but found my own weapon had vanished. Wide-eyed, I watched the bullet enter my chest, helpless to defend myself, and spat out blood. Wincing from the pain, I sank to one knee, clutching the wound and breathing raggedly. Areth walked up to me slowly, taunting me with each agonizing step, and smirked his usual Cheshire grin. My vision began to cloud, further covering my surroundings in fog.

"I win…" Were the only words he said to me before the darkness beckoned for me to lose myself to its embrace…


	22. Chapter 21

_Chapter 21: A Match Not Made in Heaven_

The third dream ended with the beckon call of morning and my eyes opened to greet the new day. Surprisingly… and disturbingly, what appeared before me when my vision cleared was none other than the man who'd shot me two previous times. It was such a wonderful vision to awaken to.

"Areth? What are you doing here?" I asked groggily, rubbing the sleep from my eyes while I stretched and yawned.

"I heard noise coming from your room so I came to investigate." He replied, looking at me with some concern, "You sounded… distressed."

I told him I had some lame dream about duck soup or something and he bought it, to which I was more than glad for. My fibs weren't very good most of the time and this was no exception. Sure, I can pretend to be someone I'm not for my entire professional career, but when it comes to explaining what freaked me out a few seconds ago, I freeze. Good thing Areth was as gullible as he was.

I got myself cleaned up and went downstairs for some breakfast after I assured Areth that I was fine. Kai was busy watching the SV in my living room. "Hey, Areth said you were havin' a bad dream. You okay?" He asked me.

"Yea, I'm fine. It was just a dumb dream, anyway." I replied, grabbing a bowl and spoon and going for some cereal. I yawned again and walked over to where Kai was sitting, plopping myself down also. "What are you watching?" I asked, seeing as the show was on a commercial break.

"It's this really cool thing about fiends I found on the Discovery Network. It seems they've been getting stronger recently." Kai answered, almost mesmerized by the panel currently displaying a Clarofin anti-acne cream commercial.

"Really? What did it say? Why are all the fiends suddenly so weird looking and aggressive?" I asked, starting to gain some interest.

I wanted to know what that Espada thing was that I had fought with Galte. After all, fiends were normally animal-based. If there was some animal that traded its limbs for razors, I've never seen it.

"Well, apparently, fiends are made from the dead. When they die, most of the time they envy those who are still living. Because of that, they turn into fiends." He said, "Their soul passes on, but emotions from dying stay and end up manipulating the pyreflies before they can move on."

"Yea, I know that part. Lenne is a summoner after all. What did they say about why they've been getting nastier?" I asked again, "Fiends have been around for a while, but they haven't looked like demons before."

"Well, since people really didn't have too much to be envious about back then, the fiends they turned into weren't so strong. It all depends on the emotions from the dead and how strongly they are felt. So, I guess, the fiends are angrier or something." He said, using a tone of voice that told me he didn't really know what he was talking about.

Me, on the other hand, I knew exactly what was going on. That stupid war with Bevelle was racking up the death tolls and because people have lost their lives due to such a stupid reason, they've become extremely jealous of the living and their anger was feeding the pyreflies, allowing them to form much stronger creatures in their wake. The war wasn't just affecting my Zanarkand, it was affecting everything on Spira.

"If you two are done staring at that SV, I think today is an excellent day for us to scour all the corners of Zanarkand. It's wonderful to be a tourist once a while." Areth chimed in, his voice as smooth as ever.

"Sure Areth! I'll take you anywhere in Zanarkand that you want to go." I replied, with a courteous smile, hiding my duress over the dream.

With a quick handspring, I hopped out over the sofa and landed a few feet from the blitzer. We left and headed off towards the more crowded sections of the city as per my _tourist's_ request. Out-of-towners usually love to check out the main attractions and it would appear Bevelle's finest were no different. Even though Areth and Kai were permanent guests, they'd still need time to get used to their new citizenship and so I guess Areth figured he'd stick to the largest crowds, easily allowing him the ability to immerse himself in our culture.

"This would be the main court for us. It has shopping malls and food courts and the largest hotels around. Welcome to Chronus Central!" I explained, acting as an unofficial tour guide.

"Zanarkand's really lively!" Kai wowed, "Whoa! I didn't even know this game was out yet!"

The man was acting much like a kid in a land of toys, checking out every store window and seriously getting on Zanarkand's nerves with his exaggerated zeal. It didn't really last too long, though, due to the fact that the star blitzer of the city was right there. Most of the attention came to me and I ended up spending at least a solid hour signing autographs onto blitz balls and autograph books and even on some stomachs. It was amazing how wild these fans could get. I still remembered that Al Bhed who became one of these people. His body was covered head to toe with Lenne tattoos.

I shuddered at the thought and Kai thought I was cold. "No, I'm fine. I was just thinking about how certain fans display their affection for us." I explained, shaking my head from thinking about that Akoji again.

"Yea, we're done here." Kai informed me, meekly hiding a large bag behind his back. While I'd been giving autographs, both my companions had already managed to use up their cred cards on various gadgets they were drooling over.

We walked a bit longer and reached a place where apparently summoners usually went. It was an alcove known as "The Lagoon", but from what I knew about it, it was just a center for clubs and the night life. It turned out that that specific alcove had been claimed by the "elite summoners of Zanarkand". That's when I knew my day would turn sour. Who else could I have run into, except that one little… in any case, I ran into her. Unfortunately for Bevelle's best, Areth took it upon himself to make introductions with her, but the woman obviously couldn't be bothered. It was typical. She exemplified everything that could ever be wrong with Zanarkand. Even Kai agreed with me as soon as he heard her foul tongue. Areth, on the other hand, seemed almost entranced by her presence. He wouldn't stop cajoling her no matter how many times she rejected him.

"Areth, you've got no chance with that girl. Trust me, she's even pricklier than Yunalesca and that woman pushed her heal into my chest after Bahamut swiped it. Do yourself a favor and let her go. You could do _a lot_ better." I said to my spell-struck friend.

He didn't seem to pay attention though, smiling a bit before going back to flirting with that Trista like I was just teasing. I couldn't even begin to figure what attracted him to her. Although, if he could get her to fall in love with him, she might be able to change for the better through love. I thought for a moment and decided that I'd try to help. How I was going to help, I had no idea. However, since Areth needed it, I'd give it my best shot. After all, it wasn't like the guy would quit even if I didn't. Sadly, the summoner hated all blitzers and me especially. Could I be of any help to my fellow athlete?

In the following hours, Kai and I watched on as Areth flooded her with flattery. We must have tailed Trista from The Lagoon all the way to C-South on the other end of Zanarkand.

"Your words sting me until my ears are numb, but they whisper to my heart to press on! I shall claim your love for myself!" Cloud he have sounded more pathetic?

"Go away you little insect. Stop bothering me with your brainless flirting. Do you think I'd ever consider a loser like you?" Trista yelled, trying to smack Areth with her staff. Of all the summoners, Trista had to be the only one carrying a diamond-studded staff. Her ego had to be inflated to the extent that it could fill up the entire Sphere Dome easily.

"Look Trista, just be a little more courteous, will you? It's obvious that the poor man likes you. Why would he, I have absolutely no idea, but he does. At least, if you reject him, let him keep his dignity." I said, frustrated that Areth was letting himself be made into a fool.

"Oh great, it's the lamer with that songbird." She sneered, frowning upon seeing my approach.

"Trust me, the feelings mutual, but I'm here to help a friend. This is Areth, just in case you weren't paying attention." I said, grabbing Areth by his collar and standing him up straight.

"Oh, whatever! By the way, you tell _Lenne_ that I'm also a high summoner now. She's not too impressive." The bitch flaunted.

Not to let her pride get the better of me, or rather, of my own, "Oh, I am so amazed…"

"Ugh, you're so transfixed on your retarded friend, fine! Where is that bum from anyway? Some apartment in the outer rim?" She cackled.

I felt a smirk develop from both myself and Areth, "No, he's from B…" That's when I remembered how much worse it'd make it for the guy to be from Bevelle at a time like this. " B… uh… Bay Plaza!"

"No he's not! I live around there! A guy like him could never afford any of those suites. But, it's not like I care. He's probably some charity case you're working on to make yourself look good to your boneheaded fans, anyway." She said with a grunt.

"For your information, I donate _gil _to charity. I don't help people, who are already down on their luck, get dates with snobby little… people…" I grumbled, stopping myself from speaking my true intent, "Besides, Areth's no charity case. Far from it, he's a…"

I froze with the thought of nearly leaking poor information a second time. If I said he was a blitzer, she'd dump him on the spot. If I said he was anything she might respect, I wasn't sure if Areth would want that kind of a faked relationship.

"… a blitzer; star of my team, actually." He finished for me, standing tall with pride in his talent.

"Another blitzer? Oh great, college rejects 101. Look, I'm sure you're going to tell me you are a nice guy and that I'd love to go out with you because you're just so charming, but let me just stop you right there. I'm not interested in you bozo blitzer dimwits anymore than I'm interested in… well… people like you! Now leave me alone, you freak, or I'll have Yojimbo take care of you!" She said to my expectation.

Blitzers were a big turn-off for her because she figured us to be beneath her in that we were intellectual pitfalls. In reality, she was totally wrong, but until Areth could convince her otherwise, this relationship was over before it even had a chance to begin.

For the next week and a half, it seemed like Areth was a man possessed. He had made it his top priority to find some way to get Trista to accept him. Each of his attempts failed miserably as the girl just appeared to like toying with him. Kai tried to get Areth to let her go, but he just wouldn't be swayed. It was like rejection was only making his lust grow. I felt immensely sympathetic toward the guy. He was love-struck and madly in love with a woman that equivocated him with an insect. By the end of it, after watching him fail time and time again, I couldn't take it anymore and left Kai with them so Lenne and I could go elsewhere.

"So, Areth's really in love with Trista?" She asked as we made our way around a few quiet neighborhoods.

"Yea, the man's completely crazed about the girl. I don't get it. What could he possible see in her? All I get from that woman is a conceited little, 'I'm a summoner and you aren't', piece of trash!" I said with a sigh, putting my arms behind my head and looking up at the sky, "The guy must be nuts!"

"Well, love works like that. Did you ever think that Kion and Vena would have fallen for each other? Even Kirin and Ju seem a little mismatched, right? The thing is that he can find something special about her. Shouldn't that be enough?" She suggested, looking up into my eyes.

I sighed and took her hands into mine. She was right, of course. I couldn't find anything likeable about Trista, but it wasn't my eyes that were mesmerized by her features. Areth found something in her just like Vena somehow found something in Kion and it was strong enough to pursue. As much as I didn't understand it, it didn't really matter. Areth was in love, a love just as strong as mine for Lenne, it would seem. Then, the only problem was that Trista despised him.

"What do you suppose we do to get Trista to like a blitzer?" I asked, pointing out the hopeless atmosphere of Areth's situation.

"I think you should leave that up to Areth. If he really loves her, he'll find a way." She answered, smiling.

I returned the smile, "Yea, guess so. Still, it would be nice if we could help."

"It'll work out fine." Again, she was right. It was his life and I really didn't play a part in it other than as the supportive friend right alongside Kai.

"I guess I should just leave well enough alone, huh?" I asked, putting my arms around my beautiful songstress.

"Yes, you should." She stated lightly, patting me on the chest before returning my embrace.

"Now, instead of worrying about his life, let's worry about yours. You know the next blitz season is coming in just a few months. Are you ready?"

It hadn't even crossed my mind. Blitzball was going to start in around three more months. It was amazing how fast the time passed. It was almost like yesterday when I had first heard Lenne singing up on that stage, those words carrying me up into the heavens. Pearl Moon… it was one of her earlier songs, a naïve view of finding love to decorate her innocence. It had been nine months since that day. I couldn't believe it. We've been together for nearly a year and I never left the SphereDome.

"C'mon, we'd better start heading back. We're a little far from home and it's getting late." Lenne suggested, getting my attention back to the present.

Together, we made our way back to where I had left Areth fawning over Trista. By the time we returned, it was already night and, apparently, a group of people had gathered. "What's going on?" I asked Kai.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He replied, staring into the crowd.

I tried to get a peak at what was happening myself, curious to what the scene was. Then I saw it… and couldn't keep my mouth from hanging agape. Areth and Trista were making out, ignoring all humility, and attracting the attention of just about everyone around. I walked back over to Kai, my expression still frozen in shock, and muttered, "You've got to be kidding me right? How'd he do it?"

"I have no idea buddy, but somehow he did. I've been here for the past hour and they haven't stopped at all. I mean, close-quarters nonstop lip action. First, Areth was getting nowhere. Then, he starts whispering stuff in her ear and before I knew it, bam, this happens! I tell ya, he's real good." Kai returned, an equally baffled tone to his speech.

Unbelievable! For a week and a half, Areth couldn't get even a kind word out of that girl's mouth. All of a sudden, he's… well, he's getting a lot more than just words… It just didn't make any sense! I guess their love was true… Areth loved Trista and figured out something that made her see the same in him. _If only I knew what it was then…_

After another hour, the two of them finally stopped, Trista gasping for breath and Areth displaying that familiar smirk while he turned his gaze to me and winked. The crowd began to lose interest and I made my way over to the two. What could have been more out of place than those two giving Zanarkand a live show, but Trista smiling at me for the first time I can remember. The first time I had met the woman was when Lenne was being attacked by the Ifrit fiend. She had been indignant to Lenne and nagged her about her amateur summoner skills. Meanwhile, her own abilities were really nothing to flaunt either. I still find Lenne's later victory an amusing event to think on. Trista was defeated solely by Lenne's Odin and was furious at the result. In any case, this Trista acted far differently.

"What's wrong, Tidus? Cat got your tongue?" She teased, giggling as Areth whispered something else into her ear before walking over to Kai.

"So, you like him now?" I asked, trying to reassure myself that what I had witnessed was real.

"Yea… I know, and well, I was wrong about him. He's not like any blitzer I've seen before… I guess I owe you an apology for all my malice toward you and Lenne. I'm sorry." She said, bowing her head.

I couldn't believe it! First, she falls in love with Areth, then the smile, and she follows it up by apologizing for everything she'd put Lenne through? That was astounding! Areth had to be some kind of miracle worker because this girl never would have done this all by herself.

"Oh, uh, no problem…" I stammered, still getting over the fact that Trista, the epitome of a tramp, just reformed in less than a single day.

Maybe there was hope for the summoners yet. I mean Lenne was a terrific role model for future summoners and Larea was a fairly decent summoner herself. However, nothing could match up to this. Trista, the prime example that a worm can grow into a butterfly. (… And yes, I realize how corny that just sounded.)

The summoner waltzed past me, making her way to "her Areth". She hugged him and kissed him on the cheek, which still threw me, while Kai pretended to be tired of all the sappiness. I walked over to Lenne and saw that even she was perplexed by the scene.

"Never thought it would happen either, huh?" I asked with a grin.

"I never would've imagined it." She admitted, pressing her hand to a cheek while shaking her head in disbelief.

"Guess you were right. Areth would find a way to get Trista to love him back." I continued, putting a hand on her shoulder and pulling her close.

"I just never thought it would be so quick. She wasn't much in the mood for him earlier and suddenly she's all over him." Lenne wowed some more.

I looked back to where Trista was still clinging onto Areth and kissing him every two seconds. It really did seem out of place, but then again, so did Kion and Vena. If I missed that one, maybe oddities like this just happen. Then again, the surprise was probably more to do with what they were doing rather than why they were doing it.

A while later, our concern shifted to the crowd of fans gathering around us and me and Lenne were being swamped with autograph after autograph requests.

"Please sign this! Please!!" One kid screamed, holding out a blitz ball.

"Okay okay!" I said, taking the ball and scribbling the name Tidus onto it.

"Lenne, I'm your number one fan!" Somebody shouted to my left.

"Yea, you and just about everyone else here." I mumbled, rolling my eyes slightly.

All they cared about was getting our names onto things. I think I actually ended up signing some girl's thigh. The fans were insane, but then, I guess it helps to sell out all the games I've played in.

An hour or two, because I lost count after the first thousand signatures, and we were through. The fans eventually had their fill of our presence and dispersed, leaving us exhausted and sore So much shouting and all the arms jutting out of every corner holding something that I could put my name on, it really made me dizzy. I also had a few paparazzi pictures taken of me. Flash photography might not bother me, but fifty simultaneous flashes sure packs a punch. If I had to take a guess, the cover story of this week's CelebWatch magazine would feature the title, "Tidus… and Lenne?" As if that was some kind of shocker. People take us celebrities and make it seem like we're nothing like them. It's like we're supposed to be by ourselves so that the fans could always picture marrying one of us. I couldn't even fathom how many times I've heard, "Marry me, Tidus!!!" or "I love you more than life itself!"

"So, all done signing?" Areth asked, strolling over with his ladylove.

"Yea… Finally." I returned, yawning to show my weariness and tending to my arm. With a sulky sigh, I slumped to the floor and sat flat on my behind, staring up at the stars.

Lenne collapsed right after me, sighing in relief that she didn't have another piece of paper to write her name on. "Are you okay?" I asked her.

"I'm fine. My hand isn't doing so well, though." She said with a small laugh.

I smiled and reached out, lifting her hand gently over to me. I put my other hand over hers and started to massage it, caressing her skin softly.

"Feels good." She whispered, "Thank you."

"It's my pleasure." I replied, kissing her hand and continuing to massage it afterward.

"Aw, that's so sweet!" Trista squealed, looking at us with a warm grin on her face.

"You've changed rather dramatically, Trista." I said, trying to see if she was only faking.

"Well, you have your friend to thank for that. I wuv my Arethy!" She said in baby talk, cuddling against the guy. Both me and Lenne gaped in amazement. The former creature of pretentious grandstanding was acting like a love-happy girl, and a very Kirin-like one at that.

"Um, I hate to be raining on your picnic, but why are you two sitting on the floor?" A familiar voice said.

"Oooh, are you tired Lennie?" Kirin chirped, jumping over my head and landing in front of us, nearly knocking Trista down.

"Yea, I'm kind of tired. I just signed a million and one autographs and Sh… Tidus… was massaging my hand." Lenne explained, nearly slipping with the name thing again. Letting my secret out once must have made her exceptionally cautious.

"Oh, that's so sweet!" Kirin squealed with glee.

"You missed the best part, Kirin. Right before you came, Trista over there said that exact same sentence." I told her.

"Trista?" She asked, looking behind her to see the summoner we all had grown accustomed to loathing, "Don't we not like her?"

"I know… I've been a bitch for such a long time. I'm sorry to you all." Trista stated with sincerity.

"Oh, that's okay. What's important is that you're not such a meanie anymore." Kirin stated with a nod.

"In any event, the two of you alright? You need a lift back home?" Ju offered, walking up.

"Nah, I'm fine." I answered, "But, Lenne, do you want them to get you home?"

"Well, if it wouldn't be too much trouble. I don't really want to walk another step." She replied sleepily, sighing again.

"No worries! Me and Ju can get ya home. Yup, no problem, Lennie!" Kirin replied, helping my love get back to her feet. I assisted, still holding the same hand from before.

"Goodnight, Lenne." I whispered, kissing her lightly.

"Goodnight. I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked.

"Oh, c'mon! You're coming with us. Give Kai your keys and let them crash at your place. You're staying with Lennie!" Kirin ordered.

With a small laugh, I nodded obediently and tossed Kai my house keys. "Now, just don't do anything I wouldn't." I joked to the blitzer.

We started heading off to Ju's hover when Lenne faltered in her step. "Guess I really am tired." She said softly, her voice weak to show that she was truly worn out.

Carefully, I put one of her arms around my neck and lifted her up, putting one hand on the small of her back and the other under her knees. "I've got you. Let's hurry up Kirin. I'm a little tired myself." I admitted.

"Aw, isn't this sweet?" I heard from two different voices. It was a fact: Trista had been Kirin-ized somehow.

"Okay, yes cute. Now can we start walking?" I asked, trying to get Kirin to move. She giggled playfully and hopped over to Ju as they both headed back to the hover with me trailing not far behind, a half-asleep Lenne huddled in my arms.

It took around five minutes to get to Lenne's house. After they dropped us off, I got Lenne inside and got her straight to bed. "Goodnight…" I said to her already sleeping form, kissing her on the forehead before heading to the couch I slept in whenever I stayed at her house. I could have taken a guest room, but for some reason, it just never occurred to me to do so. In any case, I laid myself down onto the couch and drifted off into peaceful slumber.

Lenne woke me up later in the night. I didn't really have the awareness to figure out just when, but I knew I was still really tired and groggy.

"You don't have to sleep on the couch, Shuyin." She said.

"I know, but I never remember that you have guest bedrooms, too." I replied, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, "Pretty dumb of me I know, but…"

"You can sleep with me if you want…" She shyly added, looking at the ground.

"Are you sure?" I asked, getting a jolt of a wake-up call.

"…I'm …sure…" She decided with a lot of hesitation, "I could use the company."

I thought that I'd take her up on the offer, a bed being much more comfortable than a couch I could barely fit on. Lenne trusted me being this close and we'd keep getting closer.

"Goodnight…" Lenne cooed, pressing against me softly before falling asleep again.

"I love you, Lenne…" I spoke to her as she slept, hugging her close.


	23. Chapter 22

_Chapter 22: The Machina War_

"Bevelle attacks have continued to grow more fierce. The death count is estimated to be five million so far. It has been estimated that another two million will be dead by tomorrow. Our benevolent sovereign, Yu Yevon, had this to say." Words of the war echoed in my ears as I woke up.

"As awful as it may seem right now, I would like everyone in Zanarkand to know that help is on the way. Thanks to the support of our Zanarkand Abes, coupled with the support from one of our top summoners, Lady Lenne, Zanarkand engineers have been able to build incredible war machina. Our gratitude to them all for their selfless contributions." I heard Yu Yevon saying in his usual "I can calm a crazed fiend if I wanted" way.

"I can assure all of you, Zanarkand will not be in this war for too much longer and peace shall return soon." He continued.

I finally decided to get up with a deep yawn and went to the next room where Lenne was sitting on the floor cross-legged, staring into the SV. "Bad news, huh?" I asked her, making my presence known.

"Oh, good morning Shuyin." She replied sweetly, though I knew better. Turning her head to look at me, I saw the remnants of tears dampening her flushed cheeks.

She got up and started to walk toward me, but I stopped her with a hug and tried to ease her grief, "It'll be okay. Zanarkand's going to beat Bevelle and it's all thanks to us."

Who was I kidding? I heard the numbers. Five million of my fellow citizens were already dead and it was guessed that another two million would follow. Sure, Zanarkand had a billion and plus people residing in its boundaries and most of the casualties were that of Red Alert and summoner ranks, but those numbers were extremely harsh no matter how you try to spin it.

"I think you're right…" Lenne whispered, holding back a second ocean of tears.

"I know it looks bad now, but just trust in Yu Yevon, right? He'll get us through this." I suggested, knowing that I, myself, didn't believe a word I spewed. Lenne slowly nodded as I mentally cursed myself for feeding her these foolish lies.

I couldn't believe that this war had escalated into a full-blown machina war. Instead of just having people shooting and killing each other, we had machines coming out of the woodwork to blow a dozen or more innocent lives to dust. It was sick… It was what I'd feared all along. The war was going too far and I had to figure out how to end it. Well, it wasn't my position to figure that out, but I couldn't stop thinking about it anyway. Zanarkand was precious to all that took shelter within its protective borders and it was our duty to make sure it stayed that way.

"C'mon Shuyin, Lenne. Let's get out there and kick some butt!" Kirin hollered from Lenne's comsphere.

"Do you really think we can do anything against machina?" I asked her, coming toward the projection screen.

"Why would we be fighting them?" She asked, obviously missing the news that had greeted me to begin this day.

"Kirin, this war has become a machina war." I told her, seeing her shocked face on the screen,

"It's escalated. Zanarkand's getting its own machina, too."

She called over Ju and he confirmed that it was indeed a machina war that was at hand. Kirin still couldn't believe it, walking away from the comsphere's view in a horrified stupor.

"Shuyin, you know as much as I do that we can't just sit back and let the machina handle the war. As new as they must be, Zanarkand's engineers are in the business of luxury, not warfare. Bevelle's machina will still pound us if we don't try and give those machines some support." Ju stated, taking over for Kirin as she paced in the background.

"I know… This war's just gone way too far. You know how many are dead already, right?" I returned.

"Yea… It doesn't matter! Me and Kirin, you and Lenne, Rothel and that Larea girl, Damu, and even those new comers, Areth and Kai; we all have to do our part to help a Zanarkand victory. So are you in or out?" He said rather forcefully.

Ju was absolutely right. Even if we weren't soldiers, it was our responsibility as citizens of Zanarkand to defend it from invasion, especially a senseless one like this. Bevelle wanted to take us out. We'd have to make them fight long and hard for it.

"I'm in…" I answered sternly, nodding for confirmation.

Lenne followed, "I'm in, too!"

"Good, then meet us at Genusted Park so we can discuss what resources we have. Also, Kirin told me you have some kind of unsent friend. Maybe you could get his help, too." He returned, "Right now, we could use all the help we can get."

"Alright, I will." I said and then shut off the comsphere.

Lenne was already set to go, but I still needed to get ready. While I did so, Lenne called my place to alert Areth and Kai. In a half hour, we were in Lenne's hover, on our way to Zanarkand's largest park.

"Hey bro!" Rothel waved upon seeing me.

"Hey! So is everybody here?" I asked.

"No, Areth and Kai haven't showed up yet." Ju said.

"Okay, I'll try to call for Takuma while we wait." I offered, getting my hands cupped over my mouth to call for my unsent tutor in swordplay.

"Don't bother, I'm here." Came the voice of the warrior known as Takuma, his figure materializing from behind the others.

"Will you help us defeat Bevelle?" I asked the stoic swordsman.

"Yes, I shall assist you." He stated plainly, crossing his arms and nodding.

"Great." I said in synch with a happy chirp from Kirin.

So there we were, the team consisting of myself and Takuma swords in hand, Lenne and Larea with Aeons, Black and White Magic, Ju with his mastery of the mystics, Kirin with daggers, Rothel and his newly constructed spiked blitz ball, the Cleaver Sphere, Galte and the ronso with their lances, Damu with… well whatever he attacked with, and lastly, Areth and Kai with their gunblades.

"I hope this all-star team is capable of handling an army of war machina." I muttered with much doubt in my voice. Not like swords do too much against cast-iron plating.

"Hey, don't forget you got me around!" Damu called out, waving a hand in the air.

"I didn't… Do you even know how to fight?" I asked quizzically.

"I don't need to. Look what I bring the team." He answered curtly, pointing over to my right.

There, parked on a field of short-grass, I saw a huge airship, an image of pure power if I ever saw one. It was fully loaded, bearing an assortment of missile launchers and Gatling guns I had only ever seen in movies.

"Wow… That airship is yours?" I asked as I stared at the large craft in admiration.

"Yup, and not only that, but this baby's got tons more features than that which you see. It has five concussion missile turrets that have fully-automatic targeting computers, two Gatling guns, and four Flare bomb holds." He explained, "On the interior, state-of-the-art guidance systems, deflector shielding extensively on the hull and bridge, and twin polarized Gamma-ion cannons. Oh, and I mean it has all of that _and_ those standard edition weapons you see handing off of it for looks."

I was amazed by the artillery the ship carried. "How on Spira did you pay for that? I'm pretty sure it would put a dent into anybody's gil card." I asked.

"Oh, I didn't buy it. Me and the Al Bhed crew, we built it by ourselves." He replied, "Gotta love engineering."

"Well, the parts would cost a fortune, no?" I asked again.

"Nope. We made all the weapons and the works and the materials were salvaged from an old airship that was being retired, anyway." He explained, "Oh, by the way, her name… is the Argos."

Minutes later, our newest teammates arrived. "Hey, how long we keep you guys?" Kai asked as he jumped out of the hover.

Together with him was Areth as well as his love, Trista, someone whose change of heart I still found… disturbing. Regardless of the surprise I got when Vena fell in love with Kion, I still found it hard to accept that someone who'd hated us for so long and even tried to kill me or Lenne on occasion would suddenly have such a tremendous mood swing. I get how love can change you, but could it do that much? Especially with her intense rivalry against Lenne, it only made it seem more unlikely she'd give all that up.

"Hi Tidus!" Trista shouted and ran over for a hug.

Gripping me tightly, she gave a pretty rough squeeze, one that I only related to Kirin. It really made no sense. How did someone as cold and arrogant as she turn into someone fun-loving and energetic as Kirin? Either I was just being paranoid or something was…

"How are you? Did last night go well?" She continued, nudging me in the gut with her elbow.

I was dumbfounded. First, she was all Kirin-like. Then, she got hit by the Rothel syndrome. Was this just the nice side of Trista?

"Uh… Well, we didn't actually…" I started to say, blushing slightly.

"Aw, you didn't get any? C'mon Tidus! You gotta be more aggressive!" She said just like Rothel would.

What did this woman sniff? "Um… Well… It was just that we were so exhausted…" I said in defense, but she cut me off.

"That's no excuse! She's your woman, isn't she? Well, how do you expect to keep her if you don't give her something to stick around for?" She shamelessly said, "You know, us girls, we talk."

I dropped my jaw and just stared. Did she actually say that? Did those words actually come out of her mouth? She wanted me to sleep with Lenne because that was what a girl used as the means of justifying the relationship?

"C'mon, buddy boy. Trista's right. You need to get with the program. Girls, they love a man of action!" Kai exclaimed, sauntering over and patting me on the cheek.

"Uh… I'll try to keep that in mind?" I mumbled, trying to back away from them.

Funny thing was that when Trista was trying to intimidate me, I kept pushing her on in my arrogance. Once she became like this, someone who was giving me simple advice, I ended up becoming very intimidated, timid even!

"Alright Trissy, I think he's had enough for one day." Areth called out, smiling like a little kid. Trissy? This all happened in one day? I mean, sure, he took a week and a half to get to that one day, but did all this really happen in one day?

"Oh T, I… er… owe you a new bed." He added, snickering with Kai afterward.

"You… oh… Yea, don't worry about it. I'm gonna have to burn that house knowing what you and Trista might've done in it." I replied, driving the images out of my mind as fast as I could.

"Okay… if we could get back to business…" The annoyed voice of Jurama resounded. Never get him annoyed. It could _spell_ trouble if you know what I mean.

"I'm… sorry…" Trista whimpered, sounding somewhat like Larea did when she first joined our little group.

"It's okay, Trista. Ju's just got a very short fuse. You'll learn to love that just like the rest of us, right guys?" I said, asking my friends about our past encounters with the black mage.

"Right! A couple of years ago, you'd never think I'd be with Ju, but once you get to know him, he's the greatest guy ever!" Kirin chirped, hugging Ju once she finished. That softened up the stoic wizard. He smiled warmly at the girl and, soon after, we began to discuss our so-called battle strategies.

"Well, if we dealin' wit machina, I think we sunk." Rothel admitted, shaking his head.

"If we have to fight machina, we just have to figure out their weaknesses. I think the last time I fought a machina, it had a pilot. If these new machina have easily accessed cockpits, all we have to do is focus on them." I offered, "Don't worry about beating up machines."

"Yea, but how do we get to those pilots without being blown to itty bitty bits?" Kirin asked, making the boom sound of what it would be like with us getting killed.

"Ya know, me and the Al Bhed work on machina all the time. The weakest part of any machina that I know of are the…" Damu started to say.

"Joints!!!" Kirin chimed in, cutting Ju's best bud off.

"Exactly! If we just attack the leg joints of any of those machina, it'll disturb their leverage and equilibrium. Those metal monkey's will come down before you can even say watch out below!" Damu finished up.

"Yea, but how do we stay on the machina to hit those joints without the pilots knowing?" I asked.

"Ain't that simple? Just make sure ya break through them joints on the first shot, ya know?" Rothel answered me, patting my shoulder.

"And how are we supposed to ensure that one, _bro_?" I questioned his solution, finishing up with a sarcastic tone.

"You worry too much, Tidus. I'm sure the skills we have are more than enough to take down our… I mean, Bevelle's machina." Areth stated, trying to stop my worrying.

I almost agreed with him until Takuma finally chose to speak, "Don't get cocky. Machina aren't human. You won't be able to parry through. Machina aren't made of flesh. A sword, even something like your gunblade, it can't cut through them. These ideas are juvenile."

"Takuma's right. We are just a bunch of people. Those things are made of metal, they're really big, and have missiles that can blow us all to bits before we even make it to the joints." I said, illustrating on my statement by making slight hand motions to demonstrate a missile explosion.

"Hey, don't forget we've got missiles, too!" Damu said, patting himself on the chest.

"Okay, so we've got one big airship that has the missiles to stop a machina. That'll protect you for a while, but what about the rest of us?" I asked with much skepticism.

"The rest of us will be protected by the combined power of three well-trained summoners." Larea said, putting a hand on both Lenne and Trista's shoulders.

"I don't know if even Aeons can handle machina. They started to lose it when we were only facing a massive army of soldiers. If they could be beaten by a bunch of ill-trained Bevelle dorks, what makes you think a machina couldn't squash them?" I returned, seeing Kai and Areth flinch at my mention of_ ill-trained_ Bevelle ranks.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." I apologized.

"No, it's fine. We're the two from Bevelle. The rest of you are Zanarkand's people and you are all proud to be Zanarkand's people. We just have to get used to being new residents. Bevelle's just a memory of the past." Areth stated, a hint of sadness in his voice.

I didn't blame him. Even if Zanarkand was treacherous and corrupt, I'd still feel upset at hearing outsiders insult it. "Take as long as you need to get used to being with us. You can stick up for Bevelle as much as you'd like. It's okay, I'd understand. I think we all would." I comforted.

"You betcha! It's gotta be hard to leave home like that. Sure you still love it. Don't worry, Areth. Don't worry, Kai. Bevelle was your home for so long, it's gotta be tough to leave it." Kirin added, patting Kai on the shoulder.

"In any case, Tidus is right. Even with our Aeons, those machina are going to be hard to beat. We need a good plan of action. Rushing in recklessly is only going to get us killed." Lenne said to bring back the subject at hand.

"Oh, Lennie. You can't count us short. We are the summoners of Zanarkand. A few machines can't beat us." Trista said, a spark of her old summoner's pride returning near the end of her sentence.

"A few, maybe. Why not try a few million?" I retorted.

"The kid's right. There is no way you can handle all of those machina. The lot of you will just end up getting yourselves killed… That's why I've thought of a better idea." Takuma inserted, "We let those machina destroy themselves. All we have to do is play decoys. We'll simply aim their fire back at them." That actually sounded like a plan.

"You think we can do it?" I asked, "It'll require a lot of speed and perfect timing."

"Do you have a better solution? When your enemies flank your position, you must act defensively. Our only chance in this is to pit the machina's powerful artillery on themselves, gain the upper hand, and kill the surviving operators while they are controlling only scrap metal. The summoners have their Aeons. They are our cover. The black mage, too. The rest of us are to execute the operation. I just hope your friends are up to the task." He stated lowly.

"Ah, these guys can handle it. Kirin's faster than me! Rothel's got enough strategy in his head to know where to go. I don't know about Areth or Kai, but I think they can handle themselves, too, right?" I exclaimed, looking over in their direction.

"Hey, whatever you can do, Tidus, we can do just the same." Kai boasted, lifting his head up high and giving me a grin.

"You need not worry about us, Tidus. We can hold our own in battle." Areth followed up.

We headed off. It really didn't take too long to get to the Calm Lands, that being where the battles had taken place all this time. It was extremely ironic to name it the Calm Lands. Even before this war, fiends infested this plain. Never in any day in my life had the Calm Lands actually been calm. The Calm Lands received their name after a painter from Kilika had come to gain some solace through travel. By his words, he'd never seen such a placid field. Upon the completion of his best known work, the ronso had named the plains after that same painting: Calm Land. As the story goes, this is the one place on Spira where fiends are the most timid, attacking only if they sense that their visitors desire battle.

However, with the coming of the new wave of fiends brought out from the war, the Calm Lands never looked more turbulent. The area was littered with decaying bodies and machina shrapnel. Pyreflies echoed the desperate wails of the dead and dying, only to be joined by more of their kind, bleaching the grass fields in an aura of torment and strife.

"Look at this…" I muttered, staring at the wasteland.

My mood grew dimmer with every view. Zanarkand military uniforms were strewn, tattered, across the field, flapping to free themselves from the corpses that had once proudly wore them… So many lives lost for a worthless cause. I didn't like it. I didn't like it one bit. If one side would just stop attacking, maybe this could all just be a bad memory. What was the point of continuing anyway? Wouldn't looking at this cause them some remorse? I knew that I didn't want to see this anymore. I trusted Yu Yevon, but I wasn't so sure he could solve this problem. At least, I didn't anymore.

"We should perform a sending." Lenne suggested, looking at her fellow summoners.

Each of the trio walked to an area of corpses and began the ritual, circling around and doing that horrible dance. As they performed, pyreflies gathered around them to be released from their pain. I silently screamed in the back of my mind. I wanted them to stop, to never have to repeat the requiem, this somber performance, ever again.

"Here they come." Takuma announced, glaring off past the Calm Lands and into the heart of Bevelle.

"This is it? Let's make sure that when those machina get to Zanarkand, they get there as wreckage!" I growled angrily, lifting my sword. If I wanted to stop this war, I'd have to do it myself.

"What ya mean when? Them machina would be lucky they even get a bolt on Zanarkand territory, ya know?" Rothel stated with equal hatred, putting on his blitzing face.

"I'm sorry. Of course I meant if. _If_ they get to Zanarkand… We'll make sure they don't!" I replied. We set off, running toward Bevelle and to those mechanical menaces.

The group got as close to Bevelle as possible, led by the two who knew best. Areth and Kai took us on a route that got us really close to the city without being targeted. Just as Takuma said earlier, machina were already piling out, heading off to attack Zanarkand. My eyes glared coldly at the metal beasts, blue pools of rage fueled by the images of the dead witnessed before.

"We attack now." Takuma grumbled, heading off to carry out his plan.

I ran up as fast as I could, followed soon after by everyone else. Damu had been left back at Zanarkand to wait for any machina we might miss. With his decked-out airship coupled with Zanarkand's new line of war machina, our home would be fine. Several summoner and Red Alert units were stationed out in the Calm Lands also.

When all of us were in position, the roar of Lenne's Bahamut initiated the attack. I dodged a foot as it slammed into the ground near me, rolling away while Kirin hurled a grenade at the next one after. Quickly, I climbed up the leg and swiped the joint acting as a knee for the machine. Luckily, my blade cut straight through, slicing cleanly into the wiring of a haphazardly placed opening in the machina's armor. As I leapt off of the weapon, it squealed, metal scraping metal as the pumps and gears became erratic, and tumbled into the following machina. Both came crashing down with a tremendous explosion after Kirin's grenade triggered.

"Nice job, Tidus!" Kirin called out, stabbing her phantom daggers into the treads of canon-type machina as her Dagger Shower overdrive finished.

A nearby Defender, a humanoid golem machina, moved it's arm to try and grab my blonde friend, but she slyly jumped the moment it got to her position and chucked a coagulant charge at it. Meanwhile, Rothel ran through, running another canon into the affected area of the coagulant. Both of the metal creatures entangled and struggled to break the bonds, but they both failed in their awkward condition. Ultimately, this ended as Trista's Minotaur Aeon used its overdrive, Teraform Obelisk, to impale them on a tower of rock.

For the next few hours, Takuma's strategy seemed to be working without a hitch. Machina of all forms came as us, aerial and siege alike. We kept up the strategy of refocusing enemy fire and Bevelle wasn't cluing in on it at all. I leaped onto one of the canons and began digging into the operator compartment. As soon as it cracked, I shot my Force Rain through, destroying the machine from the inside out. Then, while it started to die, I whistled over to Bahamut who proceeded to bat it with its tail. As it soared, I released my grip on it, drifting to my next target as the canon exploded in mid-air, eliminating a few flyers.

While I did this, I noticed that Areth and Kai were also having their fun. Back-to-back, Areth looped his arm with Kai's and they swung themselves around in a circle, firing rapidly from the gunblades. Trista's Minotaur was replaced by her Shiva who blew powder snow at the bullets, turning each one into a spike of condensed ice just before they hit the machina. Each impact tore completely through the mechanized beasts, destroying them with ease.

Elsewhere, Rothel had dug his Cleaver into the ground, extending the attached chain to tether himself as he kicked off one machina to the next. As he did, Takuma would strike at the one Rothel would get to next to distract it. All the while, Larea's Hades prepared its spell in its Black Cauldron, afflicting the machina with debilitating stasis. When that was done, Rothel recoiled his chain and retrieved his weapon while the machina whirred to a stop and fell to pieces. Having built up a lot of adrenaline with his stunt, Rothel charged his energies into the Cleaver, batting it into the ground to create a tremor, effectively stalling most advancing enemies. Then, he double-fisted it forward once it bounced back up, sending it straight through one of the foes and pulling it with the chain through the next few in a circle, a modified version of Rothel's Blitzkrieg blitzball technique and a powerful overdrive.

Also, not to be left out of the action, Lenne and Kirin went at it, Kirin chucking delay-effect charges on several machina while Lenne distracted them with Leviathan. The sea dragon left as soon as Kirin was finished planting her toys and Lenne's Titan took center stage, toppling machina onto machina with its Tremor ability. All that was left was a smoldering heap of twisted molten metal when those two were done. With a high-five, the two of them congratulated each other on a job well done.

Lastly, Galte and the ronso had arrived earlier and were battling alongside Jurama. As Ju cast spells and status effects against the machina and their pilots, the ronso went into a berserker fury, ripping into the armored hides of the machines like they were made of paper. Galte, in the meantime, focused his lance, creating a glowing aura around it. Suddenly, he stabbed the lance into the ground and gave a low grumble and a massive ball of fire erupted underneath a group of Defenders, boiling them into ash.

After a while of slagging off those machina, I began to think: These machina didn't appear to be consciously piloted. No way Bevelle could be that stupid to have yet to discover our tactics. It got me thinking that maybe the machina were being remotely controlled by some automated command system. I decided to look into my theory and boarded the cockpit of a Defender unit. Slicing at it with my sword, I managed to pry it open. There was no one guiding this machina! These machina were automatons! What did that mean? Was this really the fearsome Bevelle's machina army? How was it that a city priding itself on its war machina was allowing itself to be so easily defeated time and time again? It didn't make sense. The first battle I fought in had not a single machina present. Bevelle only sent soldiers, all of which fled or died without much effort. The second featured about five machina walkers, each beaten by simply keeping the enemy soldiers nearby to render them useless. Then, this pre-emptive strike on the machina forces and we were breaking them without even breaking a sweat. Something didn't add up.

"I think someone's playing us for fools." I said, elaborating by motioning my arm over to the heap of flaming machina remains over to the side, "Your weapons can't be that bad, right?" I turned to Kai.

"It's not that. We've got a good plan. That Takuma guy over there knows his stuff." Kai offered.

"It isn't even really that. The lot of us are talented fighters and with the strength of three high summoners of Zanarkand, who on Spira could possibly stop us?" Areth added, his praise of our little group of vigilantes becoming slightly over-exaggerated.

"Something doesn't feel right." I muttered to myself, continuing on to take down more of the enemy machines. As I turned to my mentor, hoping Kai was right about our effective strategy, it almost appeared as though he grunted in cautious suspicion. Did he feel the same absurdity of this fight?

"Hey, is this a private party or can any crazy airship pilot join in on the fun?" A voice radioed in.

"Damu? What are you doing here? You're supposed to wait at Zanarkand to make sure you can pick off the ones we miss!" I shouted up at him, unsure if he'd hear me or not.

I watched as the Argos swooped down and launched missile after missile, fired round after round of Gatling slugs, and completely wiped out Bevelle's remaining toys.

"Great job, Damu…" I muttered, continuing to view the destruction of Bevelle's machina army.

And just like that, the first true wave of machina was squelched. A small band of people along with a perky airship pilot had defeated the most terrifying machina army in all of Spira… Something was wrong…


	24. Chapter 23

_Chapter 23: Personal Scars_

What could it have been? Why was Bevelle allowing Zanarkand such easy victories? What were they up to? I knew I should have been grateful for their swift defeats, but it just couldn't bode well for Zanarkand if Bevelle was conspiring behind the war. I thought about the possibility that Bevelle was toying with us, allowing us to build confidence so that when they unleashed their true intentions, we'd be completely overwhelmed, as well as, humiliated for ever thinking we could attain victory.

"What's wrong, Shuyin?" Lenne asked me as we walked the oddly empty streets of downtown Zanarkand.

"Nothing's wrong. It's just that… I don't… I just don't know how to say it." I muttered.

Why would I make her worry when I wasn't even sure of my fears? I didn't know if I was right. I didn't even know if I was stressing a good thing for Zanarkand. There wasn't a reason to cause anyone else alarm until I was sure.

"Shuyin, if something's wrong, just tell me." She pleaded.

Well, what did I expect? I usually told her what I was thinking. No matter what my reasons, I wasn't being honest with her anymore. I had fed her lies about having faith in Yu Yevon to stop her from worrying. I had yet to reveal any mention of my disturbing dreams in her presence though she was equally involved. I was keeping things from her and she was starting to suspect.

"It's not what you think. I just don't think I need to say anything about it just yet… At least, not until I'm sure. It's just a stupid idea that got in my head anyway." I told her, lying once again.

"If you say so…" She uttered.

We walked the rest of the way in silence. I knew Lenne was still thinking on what I wouldn't tell her. I knew she was still disappointed that I seemed not to trust her. It couldn't be helped. Whatever was going on with Bevelle, I couldn't figure out any resolution until the next battle. I would need a hostage…

A few days later, the fighting resumed. Machine drove along the Calm Lands, the ominous entities towering over our forces. Along with them, they had some foot soldiers around, which was perfect for what I needed. I focused all my attention on injuring at least one of their forces to get some answers. Instead, I must have severed over thirty heads and fatally wounded countless others. They must have been informed about what Zanarkand might do and so made sure that should they be unable to fight, they'd also be incapable of leaking information. Either that or they were still following a traditional rule of war to die before defeat. It was rather frustrating to fail to say the least. I needed answers and this wasn't helping. Bevelle was highly tactical in battle. They were a little craftier than I'd given them credit for…

Finally, I managed to stab someone through the shoulder and pierce the lung, preventing his death before dishonor clause immediately after when tried stabbing himself in the chest with a hidden kozuka.

"You're coming with me." I whispered beneath my breath, a wicked smile glinting across my face at my success.

I dragged the soldier quickly, making sure nobody got to him. It was quite the stunt. Considering that I was pulling a bleeding body across the width of a battlefield to as secluded an area I could find, it wasn't the easiest task in the world. I had to slice up a few of the guy's comrades or dodge a machina's artillery fire only to make it into a small ditch of built-up debris. I figured it was as good a place as any to ask him what's up, especially with all that blood he lost through the trip.

"So, now that we're all nice and cozy in this little hole, how about you tell me why Bevelle is being such a pushover? C'mon, fill me in." I said coyly, gripping the man's collar tightly, "I promise I won't tell."

"I'll never tell you anything you Zanarkand slime." He sneered, trying to spit some blood in my face.

I dodged the shot and pushed my knee into his gut before asking the same question again. "You'll never get anything out of me!" He shouted defiantly, coughing as the exclamation flooded his throat with more crimson.

I actually found myself admiring the soldier. He wasn't going to give into pain and tell me what I wanted to know. If roles were reversed, I wonder if I'd have that much courage. Then again, I'd probably have that much arrogance and the pain of my wounds would only push me further. I wouldn't have done it solely on Zanarkand's behalf. It was quite noble the patriotism my enemy showed. In any case, as much as I admired him, I still needed answers.

"Alright, I know about what Bevelle is trying to do and I can tell you now, it's not gonna work." I said outright, hoping to intimidate.

He only laughed, saying, "You fool… You haven't got a clue about what we've done. That threat is even more empty then you realize."

Well, at least that told me something. It told me that Bevelle was indeed plotting a worse fate for Zanarkand than merely a militaristic defeat. Bevelle really was playing with us. However, I had to find out more. I had to make him believe that, because I knew, Bevelle's plans might not go so well.

"Thanks for letting me know, idiot." I jeered, slapping his cheek lightly, "Now, we'll put an end to Bevelle, once and for all."

"You think that you've got it all figured out now? On the contrary, you still know nothing. Sure, I told you that we are up to something, but… what?" He said with a wide grin.

"Don't you dare be coy with me. I'm a little more dangerous than you give me credit for." I warned, grasping his collar tighter.

He only laughed some more, blood oozing from his mouth as he contently celebrated my unfavorable position. He had no reason to fear me. I was the one in need of enlightening. He had all the information and he could let me know as much as he wanted. I was completely at his mercy even though the scene suggested otherwise. What did it really matter that I had my hand on his collar? I wasn't going to kill him and he relished in that knowledge. He knew I needed to keep him alive. He knew all my threats were completely empty. I realized that I needed to rethink my strategy.

"Look, give me a break? You really think that if you told me anything, I'd be capable of stopping all of your tricks myself?" I asked. Rather than intimidate as that had backfired, I chose sympathy and hoped the loyal marine would also have a compassionate conscience.

"You know, you really are pathetic. Don't worry though. I think that we were supposed to show you guys the real nature of Bevelle soon enough. Just have some patience. It'll all be over before you know it." He replied with a smirk.

I was beginning to grow frustrated in desperation. "Alright… You wanna play these games with me. How's this one?" I sneered, lifting him to his feet by the sword that was still impaled into his shoulder.

Without a second thought, I removed my blade and plunged it into his side, a wound that still wasn't fatal, but much more painful. He grunted, but kept up his composure.

"Still can't kill me, huh? Even though I'll never tell you anything, you just can't kill me. You are so pathetic. To think a worthless urchin like you could make him hate you like this." He said, looking at me with much distaste, "You aren't worth it…"

"… Thank you…" I replied, letting him go and slamming my sword straight down the length of his body, cutting him in two.

I had to find that bastard that thought he could lie to me. "Areth!" I roared when I saw the silver-haired traitor.

"Tidus? Is something the matter?" He asked me, still trying to keep up his charade.

"I know what you've been up to. There's no hiding it anymore!" I growled lowly, grabbing him by the neck.

"Tidus, what are you doing?" Kai yelled, seeing his friend being helplessly strangled.

"Your buddy here's been with Bevelle all along! I just heard a soldier tell me everything!" I mouthed, continuously glaring holes into my prey.

"Oh… no…" He replied, knowing full well that his plans were foiled.

"And… you're probably in on it, too!" I said, lifting my blade to Kai's throat.

"What's going on here?!" Kirin screamed, fast approaching our location.

Explosions sounded in the distance, returning some of my attention to the battle that raged on.

"Why are you trying to kill those two?" She continued, pulling at my arm.

"They've been spies this whole time!" I screamed, gripping Areth's neck tighter.

The suffocating man recklessly grabbed at my arm as he gasped more lies, "It's not what you think! I was only involved with military operations for a short time! Honestly! Please let me explain!"

With a pleading look from Kirin, I hesitantly released him, "You had better make up an incredible story." I breathed, never pulling my eyes from him.

"I'm sure Kai's told you about my behavior the last time you visited Bevelle." He started, "It was then that I spoke with the leaders and we had come up with a tactic to not only gain victory, but humiliate Zanarkand in the process. It's like you guessed! When you and I spoke about Bevelle's last attack, you thought correctly, but I didn't want to tell you my involvement in their sinister ploys because I'd totally abandoned them by that point. Mostly, I wanted to get some form of revenge on you, since I was completely envious of your success. They had wanted a crushing victory, but with the reputation Bevelle had for being a military powerhouse, I knew Zanarkand would be ready for their forces. I suggested that Bevelle make a few losing runs at Zanarkand with expendable units to build up your confidence. That way, when they hit you with their true force, they'd utterly destroy Zanarkand without putting up much of a fight. That was my goal. I just wanted to see you suffer the pains of defeat like you used to make me feel. I was brooding and selfish…"

"So you are still a traitor then, no?" I asked harshly.

"No… You see, this is why I rebelled against my home. I realized that my actions were sour and sought to correct them the only way I could, by fighting by your side. I knew Bevelle would still utilize my idea. However, the last attack we prevented was, as far as I knew, the real thing. I thought they were truly trying to eliminate Zanarkand from then on. I guess I was mistaken, but that was the extent of my part in that matter, I swear! Believe me, Tidus. I'm not your enemy… at least not anymore." He solemnly stated, looking at the ground as the battle continued nearby.

"Answer me this then, Areth. If you're not in on this anymore, why haven't we been attacked yet?" I asked him, suspicion still active in my mind, "Only reason I see is that they don't want to lose a spy!"

"Oh no, I can explain that one!" Kirin chimed in, raising her arm like she was answering a teacher's question in school, "I pulled off my Magic Mix and made us a shield. Even if they wanted to attack us, they can't get through. Should hold up for another five minutes!"

"Areth… Why'd you do this? Why didn't you even tell me about it?" Kai mumbled, somewhat angered by this turn of events. He walked over to his friend and lifted him off the ground by his collar, "Why? Just what was so wrong about losing that you'd sacrifice lives on both sides to satisfy your own greed?"

"Kai… I'm so sorry. I was not myself… You should know. That defeat the Abes handed us seriously made a mess of my head. I was weak, lost, frustrated to the point of madness… I ended up making bad moves even to go as far as, well, Tidus know what I said last time… I hope you can forgive me…" He whispered solemnly still, a tear sliding down his cheek.

"Of all the stupid things you've ever done, this one really tops 'em all. But… I guess that's what friends are for, huh?" Kai replied, putting him down, "Just remember that if you do something this stupid again, Tidus here won't get a chance to kick your ass 'cause I'll kill ya first!"

So Areth had been responsible for this strategy of warfare that Bevelle was using. It was his motivation for joining our side in hopes of mitigating his evil deeds. I stared at the sullen man before me, trembling as his mistakes refreshed in his mind… Could I believe him? The soldier had told me Areth was the culprit… but… I guess the words of accusation are a little more readily accepted as opposed to the words of restoration. It's a lot easier to have someone to blame rather than admit someone was innocent and your own sources were erroneous. Although, Areth didn't deny anything. He completely accepted his mistake and begged for forgiveness. It would be cruel to doubt him still. If he really wanted to harm us, wouldn't it have been more profitable to just deny my claims and frame another so that he'd be left innocent?

"Tidus, I'm extremely sorry… I'm ashamed of my actions. Please forgive me… Please..." Areth cried, his form shriveled like a disobedient child desperate for the embrace of a loving parent.

"Don't worry… I can understand. Besides, better late then never, right?" I said with as much of a smile as I could muster, "I'm actually sorry for being so hard on you. All that guy said was that you hated me. I guess I was too quick to judge." My mind wouldn't forgive him, but my heart knew it was the right thing to do.

Regardless of the result of this incident, I had a battle to win despite the awful news. Bevelle was losing on purpose. All those dead marines on the ground were "expendable" to them. Just goes to show what type of city Bevelle was. As Kirin's shield dissipated, we all went back to the battlefield. Areth stuck close by me, most likely as an attempt to redeem himself in my eyes. Kai stuck by also, more over due to Areth's prodding rather than actual preference. Areth wanted to regain both of our trust and having the two of us nearby would make it easier. Infantry and interceptor machina came at us from all sides. I tried to take down a few, but Areth jumped right in and took them down for me. He was really trying hard to make me believe him, but it was starting to get on my nerves.

"Okay! Okay! I get that you've changed. Stop fighting my targets for me, alright?" I told the man slightly exasperated as I was.

"I'm sorry!"

With a sigh, I quickly moved away from him and found my own patch of Calm Land to take my stand. I noticed from afar that Kai was also trying to distance himself from the guy. He was overdoing it with a fury.

As I returned my attention to my own location, I saw a group of Bevelle's cavalry making their way towards me. I unsheathed my sword and waited for their first attack. One of the Defender machina came at me first, the pilot using the mech's arm to attempt pounding me into the ground. I leapt into the air, landed on the arm and allowed retaliation with a cocky gesture. The pilot lifted the same arm, throwing me into the air and launching sidewinders. An unfortunate move on his part, as I twisted to dodge each rocket and crashed my weapon down upon the main body of the machina, more importantly the compartment it contained that housed the pilot. With a loud explosion, I took down my first opponent since the Areth's confession.

The rest of the supporting phalanx came at me, slashing here and there or firing everywhere else. I blocked and parried the sword swipes and deflected or dodged the projectiles with ease. The next machina to be sent after me was an interceptor, a smaller unit that had no missile turrets so I didn't need to worry so much about its presence. Also, machina that possessed such weapons weren't coming near me, anyway, due to the soldiers that were engaging me. They wouldn't want to fire at me and kill their own which gave me the advantage. I continued to pick apart the group, mostly by letting them defeat themselves. I danced around the interceptor, its pilot always trading me as a target for a few of his pals. Meanwhile, I redirected gunfire straight at it, harassing the operative further. Frustration was something I loved to utilize; taking advantage of unfocused and exasperated foes while they thought of nothing but seeing my blood stain the edges of their blades.

"How has this battle been going for you?" Lenne queried when we found ourselves together amidst the fray.

"It's been good. How about you?" I asked lightly, the true tension of the day seemingly passed.

"I heard about Areth. Are you okay with what happened? Kirin told me you were a bit rough on him." She asked me with a bit of worry evident in her tone.

She hated seeing my violent side. Doing battle with Bevelle was one thing, but she didn't accept the darkness of my heart.

"I don't know yet. What about you? What do you make of this?" I wondered, returning her question to see her reaction to all this.

"I think we can trust him. He's done so much to make up for his actions. He's shown me all I need to have confidence on where his loyalties lie." She replied.

"That's what I was thinking. He made one mistake that he originally acted on only because he was fazed by the loss and now he's trying too much to compensate. I mean he actually begged for my forgiveness and started fighting for me! I guess I should just give him a break. He's been through a lot and he already punished himself enough for the both of us." I admitted.

With a smile, she went back into the fray, me following close behind. Together, we took down several enemy troops, either burnt, shocked, or et cetera by her many spells, or skewered by my blade. I slammed my saber into gunner after gunner, tearing through a horde of their ranks. Lenne had summoned Shiva in the meantime, the icy Aeon making quick work of most of the machina with her Heavenly Strike ability.

Somewhere down the line, I decided to just let Lenne take over, taking on the job class of her back-up. She didn't seem to notice, her spell-casting taking away most of her concentration. Shiva was dancing all over Bevelle, but was steadily tiring due to the sheer length of combat. Lenne took care in watching her Aeon's stamina, eventually calling back the ice princess to keep her from destruction.

"Are you going to let a girl fight your battles for you?" A random Bevelle officer jeered.

I gazed at Lenne who looked back at me plainly. I shifted my view from her to him and then back, putting a hand through my hair, "Sure… why not?"

With that, I planted my weapon into the ground and leaned on it slightly, "Show them just why I don't need to worry about you." A grin formed on my features as I turned back to the officer.

With a small giggle, she gave me a nod and I turned my back to them, sheathing my blade and crossing my arms. I wanted to witness the scene when Lenne embarrassed the loud mouth. It wouldn't be something to miss. A few guys started to interrupt, but I herded the lot of them toward my songstress with stiff kicks and hard backhands. It was quite the treat to watch my girl in action. At first, it looked like she was simply humming a tune. However, soon it became clear that this was no ordinary music. As pyreflies exuded from her form, they enshrouded the soldiers in a cloud of magic. As the cloud thinned, each marine took on a dazed appearance. That harmless melody had turned all of those soldiers into her willing puppets. This was the power of my songstress. This was her overdrive: the Siren's Song. Lenne could hypnotize anyone with her voice and so it became one of her strongest weapons, quite possibly stronger than her Grand Summon ability. Each of the men sloppily raised their weapons to other Bevelle forces and murdered their comrades for her. Such was the majesty of my love's voice. No matter who the opponent, once the melody of her enchantment is heard, they are lost amongst the notes until she chooses to release them from her spell. You really didn't want to mess with her…

"But you might not want to try me either!" I shouted, charging my blade and performing my overdrive, Force Rain, on a horde of reinforcements that had stampeded my way since Lenne's show. I leapt into the air and aimed by blade at them, firing a massive wave of spiraling energy streams piercing straight through their ranks. Each was vaporized in an instant. "See, while she's got finesse, I've got raw power!" I finished in front of no one, positioning myself in a stance.

"Oh you big show-off." Larea sighed, approaching with Rothel.

"Ya wiped 'em clean offa Spira, ya know? Coulda saved me a couple, eh T?" He said, following up on his girlfriend.

"Hey, there's plenty more where those guys came from. Why don't you go find them, huh?" I mused, poking my best friend in his gut, "A guy with a developing gut like yours might need it."

"What gut! You see a gut 'round here?" He immediately retaliated, his physique being one of the easiest targets for mockery.

"Well, what else can you call that pudgy thing over here?" I teased, giving his stomach another light poke.

"That would be a six-pack and I ain't talkin' 'bout liquor, ya know?" He replied, throwing his head up high.

"Okay, fine. I give. Anyway, how goes the day? Take down a big round number of them or what?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Meh, these guys are too easy. I ain't think they got nothin' better than this. Some real attack, ya know? Zanarkand's got this war in the bad, hands down." He told me, obviously having the knowledge of Areth's former plans.

"So, Kirin told you?" I asked him, guessing that it must have been the overzealous blonde.

"Surprise surprise, but I heard the news from the devil himself." He replied.

"Areth told you? But…" I started.

"Yea, he told me... and then he apologized… and apologized… AND APOLOGIZED! I was gettin' so tired of his sorry ass that I just had to get as far from him as I could, ya know? What's wit him?" He explained, making sure to voice his boredom with Areth's incessant self-loathing.

"He's just really upset that he was part of this Bevelle problem. I already forgave him, but it might take some time for him to come to terms with his errors. I mean revenge isn't a pretty thing, right?" I answered, making the most of the situation.

It was good that for the moment, the battle seemed to have shifted away from our location. Perhaps my light show scared them off. Either that or maybe the other guys wanted to give us a breather and dragged them away for a while.

"You and Larea seem to be getting kinda close, from my viewpoint." I said to my friend when we got away from the girls.

"Yea, you and that Lenne seem to be gettin' 'kinda close', too. Am I gonna be an uncle soon?" He joked, elbowing me in the gut a few times.

"As if. You know I'm still just a dumb virgin. Maybe I should be asking the same of you and Larea." I returned, pushing his arm from me, "Is a little playboy on the way?"

"What? Me and L? Ya think?" Came his response.

"I see I've struck a cord. Guess that means I'm right. Let me see… Uncle Shuyin. It sounds a little strange, but I think I can get used to it." I teased, smirking at my slightly blushing friend.

"Eh, cut that out will ya? It just never came to me that we might… I just never thought… Well, ya know!" He grumbled, struggling with himself to find the right and/or appropriate words, "Man, ain't been thinkin' 'bout that for a long time, ya know?"

"Oh c'mon. You know that whatever you do, I'm with you. I really find it heartwarming that you've finally settled on one person and not everyone else that wants a piece of you." I said with a pat to his back.

"Yea, I know… Whateva for now, ya know? We got a fight to get back to!" He finished up, moving back to where the girls were.

"So, you ready for round two?" I asked Lenne.

"I'm ready if you are." She replied with a smile, tapping my nose with a finger.

I took her hand and we ran back into combat. We found the war drawing closer to Zanarkand. It had escalated and the situation looked grim. Hundreds of bodies littered the ground, all of them bearing tattered but unmistakable Zanarkand uniforms.

"Oh no…" I muttered, stopping in front of one, "So, Bevelle finally had enough."

"Where have the four of you been!" Takuma scowled, grabbing me roughly by my collar.

"I… I didn't realize they'd attack like this… What's happened?" I quietly admitted, unable to look my mentor in the eyes.

"They've taken out all the frontal regiment and brought in heavily armored machina, the kind that we'd been fearing. We needed your Force Rain and three MegaFlares wouldn't have been unappreciated either! Do you even understand what's going on? This is a war, Shuyin… This isn't a game! You don't keep up your focus and Zanarkand is gone forever. Don't ever let me catch you dozing off again." He sneered, letting me go to attack more enemies.

"I really messed up… We shouldn't have been talking like this. I guess…" I started to say.

"Hey, don't you dare start up that Areth crap, okay? One downa is more than enough. 'sides, we's was goofin' off, too. If you made a mistake, so did all four o' us, ya know?" Rothel cut me off, pushing me forward to stop feeling sorry for myself and at least keep the problem from worsening.

Quickening my pace, I sped at a large armored machina and went right after its leg joint. After I landed, I found that I barely made a dent in the metal creature. All I actually managed to do was get its attention, as well as the attention of its surrounding allies. They each opened missile turrets and fired. I had to run at my top speed and even then, the force of the explosion threw me a good five yards.

"I told you our swords aren't a match!" Takuma scolded, making his close proximity known.

"Well then, try this on for size!" Rothel yelled in the distance, hurling his spike ball at the machina and pulling it into another machina after. That did even less damage than my earlier assault.

"You imbecile. What makes you think that your weapon would have any better luck?" Takuma frustratedily grumbled.

"Well, I just thought…" Rothel tried to say.

"No, you didn't! Have you two forgotten our strategy? We keep it up, now more than ever! Let them work for you, not the other way around! And you summoners! Where are your Aeons when our hour is so dire?" With that said, Takuma went back to the battlefield.

"I'm… sorry…" Lenne stammered.

"No, Lenne. Forget Takuma. We have to move on and get back into this. Bevelle caught us off-guard just like they wanted. Now, we have to react and cut them down before it gets any worse!"

Following my words, I rushed into the fog of death. I concentrated my attacks on the joints of machina still, but this time, I made sure that I clung to them until the job was complete. That way, the machina's allies wouldn't be able to come to its aid. You didn't really want to fire a missile at a weakened machina. It just wouldn't be cost effective. Be rid of one soldier by demolishing one of your own weapons? Not too bright. Meanwhile, that one machina could have taken down hundreds more. I left Bevelle without a choice in the matter. They'd have to wait patiently for me to finish with what I was doing and try to hit me while I moved between machina. Being a parasite had its benefits. Of course, there were the times when an allied machina would decide it would be more profitable to just be down one machina to exterminate one leech, that being me, and actually fire. That's when my agility came into play, leaping from the prior machina and landing on the latter. Any good parasite knows that the sole purpose of one should be to destroy the host, that being whichever machina I was perched on, yet ensure one's own survival by preparing for the next host. I must have taken down about ten of them by the time I tired. Takuma's plan was a very effective one.

But, eventually that had to end. I was wearing out and my leaps became sloppy, this causing my failure to escape one of the explosions. I landed in a heap, completely surrounded by the burning rubble and shrapnel of fallen machina. The others, still functioning, closed in on their long awaited prey. I braced for a fiery death as the machina came ever closer, targeting systems focused on just me. At the time, I could have taken some delusional satisfaction that I alone was being targeted by so many enemy forces. Just to be rid of me, there were around seven or eight of them readying their weapons to destroy me utterly. As a last resort, I struggled to my feet and shielded myself with my blade, shutting my eyes so I wouldn't have to see their menacing leers of glee.

"You aren't gonna hurt my friend down there, are ya?" A voice shot out from nowhere.

Suddenly, all the machina around me crashed to the ground, becoming just like the smoldering carcasses of those I had felled earlier.

"What the…?" I mumbled, opening my eyes.

"You didn't think I'd let you go out like that did you?" Damusa's voice cried out from his airship.

"Damu? Thanks buddy! I owe you one!" I shouted up towards him in grateful ecstasy, unsure of whether or not my voice actually reached.

The save was short lived, however. It all happened in about five seconds. One of the surrounding machina Crawlers had taken aim on the Argos with its ion canon while he was busy saving my life. The charged beam hit right next to the bridge, meaning that even if he'd survived the blast, he'd be trapped inside.

"NO! Damu!!! Please get out of there…" I muttered, completely struck by awe as I watched on, helpless to save my friend.

Damu had survived the blast. Unfortunately, instead of even making the attempt to bail, he chose to sacrifice himself, ramming the airship into his assailant and using the ship's momentum to carry both flaming bodies into a dozen others before finally crashing to the ground with a huge explosion.

"Damu!!!" I screamed, racing to the crash site.

As I ran, I noticed Ju and Kirin also speeding with me, despair shown blatantly. We reached the area and luckily, if you can even say that, we saw his body. Charred beyond return, his corpse lay burning for us to see. Ju broke down, pounding the ground in more turmoil and strife than I'd ever seen the mage display. Kirin just stood silently over him, tears falling endlessly. I couldn't do anything… My mind blanked… I shook tremendously, some emotion, be it anger or regret boiling inside me. This wasn't like before when Kirin and Lenne were at gunpoint. This time, Damu was gone. It was far too late to rescue him. He was gone… and there wasn't anything we could do to bring him back.

We weren't even allowed the chance to mourn for our friend. One of those stupid pieces of metal trash came our way and tried to crush us with its legs. We dodged it, but we couldn't save him. The machina crushed the remains of our friend right before our eyes. I lost it right then.

"You didn't just do that." I breathed, my eyes flaring with vengeance and bloodlust.

I roared a most inhuman din and dashed right in, slashing at all parts of the machina. My anger and hatred fueled my attacks and made them ever more destructive. When I finished my onslaught, the machina toppled to the ground in bits and pieces, exploding as the pilot bled pools of crimson within the cracked vessel. I didn't notice it then, but Damu's ungratifying death had turned me feral with vengeance. I stopped caring how cruelly I butchered them. I just kept going, decimating anything in my path with complete abandon. Ju was still out of it, frozen in a daze of unrelenting sorrow. Kirin had to walk him to safety as her own grief killed all remnants of her innocence. Meanwhile, I had become a demon. I could remember feeling it, the boiling animus effacing my true soul. I wasn't Shuyin. I wasn't Tidus. All I could feel was hatred, hatred for Bevelle and what they had done to my friend. I blazed through the entire battlefield, a conscienceless murderer, tearing apart as many machina as I could find. Finally, I had enough venomous enmity in me to charge my blade. Pulling all the fire and destruction into my saber, I used my Force Rain ability once more, loosing the agony of thousands of lost lives at the remainder of Bevelle's forces. None survived as the darkness in my heart howled in joy of the apocalyptic sight that lay before me…

"Lenne, watch out!" Larea screamed, catching my attention.

Time froze… I looked to my left and saw that one lingering soldier was seconds away from skewering my Lenne at the end of his gunblade. I couldn't let it happen again! I had already lost Damusa this day. I wasn't about to lose my love, as well.

"Lenne! Get out of the way!" I shrieked.

Awoken from my haze of brutality, I sprinted to my love and pushed her into Larea as I came in. The soldier's blade tore into my waist, extending out from my backside. The pain was tremendous. As my vision refocused, I saw the soldier leering at me with the same smirk I'd seen on Areth's face in all my dreams. He pulled the blade upward roughly and I winced from the enlargement of cut, my limping body falling towards my attacker. At last, pushing his boot against my chest, he pulled his weapon out of my body, allowing me to fall to the floor. With that, he aimed the weapon at my face and maliciously grinned before putting his finger on the trigger. Seconds from putting a bullet into my skull, the gunner suddenly screamed as his body was engulfed in a sphere of Black Magic, crescent waves of shade striking him numerous times before releasing his corpse to join the rest of the dead littering the plans. Lenne had gotten back her footing since I shoved her into Larea and angrily cast Ultima on my executioner.

"Shuyin!" Was the last thing I heard from my love's voice before darkness claimed me.


	25. Chapter 24

_ Chapter 24: Concert amidst the Chaos_

Fortunately, the wound I suffered wasn't fatal. The stab had managed to pierce through one of my kidneys and tore some of my diaphragm, but wasn't severe enough. I could live with one kidney and they managed to heal the rest. The injuries did put me on the bench for quite some time, though. The doctors told me that I shouldn't move around too much for at least another month and that even after I was given leave from the hospital, I shouldn't overexert myself the next couple of months proceeding. That meant that I was out of the war… at least temporarily. Perhaps it was for the best. After all, the last fight I was in landed Damusa dead and Lenne nearly followed. I needed to cool down and regain my discipline before my blunders caused someone else their life.

"What are you thinking?" Lenne asked while gazing at my bandages solemnly.

"I guess I should be glad that that gunblade only injured me and not… well, you know…" I managed to say.

"I'm glad for that, too." She replied, a tone of melancholy resonating with each syllable.

I nearly died to save her. Guess she was worried I'd try that stunt again. She was right in worrying, of course. I'd never hesitate a moment if I knew she was in danger.

I decided to sidestep the subject, "I heard what happened afterward. Bevelle's getting the upper hand aren't they?"

"Yes, it would see so. We managed to survive only because of the Aeons. Yunalesca's Foricon scared them off." Lenne informed.

"Not just, Foricon. Kirin told me you called Elumina to use her NovaBurst after I fell." I added.

"Yes, I needed to get you to safety and heal you."

"A touch of Soothing Serenade?" I asked pulling her close.

I felt her slight nod as her hair brushed against my cheek and then she trembled, starting to sob. "Shh, Lenne. It's alright. I'm fine. We'll get through this, you'll see!"

I moved her back to look into her eyes, offering as sincere a reassuring gaze as I could. With another small nod, she wiped away her tears and tried to calm herself down.

Once Lenne was at ease again, I decided to talk about lighter subjects, "So Rothel and Larea are getting serious, huh?"

An awkward giggle escaped her beautiful lips, "Yes, they are very _fond _of one another."

"What?"

"They… did it…" She explained with a blush, "And you were closer than any of us."

My face froze in shock, "No… No, they didn't."

Lenne began giggling and nodded her head, "Yes, yes they did. I walked in on them after I started hearing groans from your room. I thought you might've woken up. I don't think anyone could've broken those two from each other, though. It was… well, it would've been sweet if I didn't have to have seen Larea like that."

For a while, both of us forgot the war and laughed candidly for the first time since it escalated.

"Hey! Since you'll be on the bench for a little while, I think I've got an idea. Why not sit on a better bench, hmm?" She riddled, grinning at me.

"What are you getting at?" I asked, completely at a loss about her schemes. Better bench? What was that supposed to mean?

"Well, I've been meaning to try something that might ease the nerves of Zanarkand's citizens. Care to come to my aid on this one?" She continued, strolling around idly with her hands behind her back.

"I'll always be there for you, m'lady. And I think I just might have figured out your plan. So, what exactly do you need me for?" I asked, realizing that she was hinting at a special concert, one to lift up the spirits of our fearful and despairing people.

"Well, you've gotten awfully good at the piano; why not show them what you've got?" She replied, lightly cupping my hands in hers.

"You want me to play? Well, I guess I could try one piece. I wrote it myself and I think it might just be what you want out of this." I said, pondering the thought. Perhaps I should play it for Zanarkand, the melody of light and sound.

It was settled. The concert would take place one month from the day, featuring the debut performance of Tidus, star blitzer of the Zanarkand Abes. One month would allow me time to recuperate and practice my skill. Rehearsal was a mini-concert for Lenne. She really got off singing her songs in front of her staff. I noticed that the woman I made fall unconscious over half a year back was still wowing over our song. Something about Lenne's singing was just magical. There was always this sense of overpowerment while her songs resounded, taking over your mind and feelings to reflect Lenne's desires. It was something to experience.

Weeks passed by harshly. Aside from Bevelle's treachery breathing down our necks, personal grief added to our misery. Mostly, our time was spent either trying to hold ourselves together after Damu's death or trying to cover up our grief through rehearsing. I still couldn't believe Damu was gone. To think how many lives I'd ended; it was about time I suffered the same loss.

We arrived at the Sphere Dome late in the evening. The road there was unbelievably crowded. Even with my "underground," we still encountered several problems.

"I can't believe I actually got a ticket! Woohoo!" Somebody screamed in excitement over to my left when we made it back to the main road.

When I looked over, I noticed that it was the same old man I'd met before in Bevelle; the one I accidentally knocked over. "Oh, it's you!" I greeted, extending my hand to shake his free one. His other was currently filming with an old SphereRec.

"Eh? What was that? Sorry, sonny, you're going to have to speak up a bit. My ears aren't what they used to be." He replied, straining his eyes to see my face.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Do you remember me? I'm Shuyin. How have you been? Have anymore of those dreams lately?" I asked him, somewhat louder this time around so he could hear me better. I was actually a little embarrassed to say that I didn't remember his name, if I even got it.

"I'm sorry but I don't seem to recall a Shuyin. Where did you say you knew me from?" He asked, still squinting like that would help him identify me any better.

"Never mind, I wasn't really too important anyway. Enjoy the concert, okay?" I told him, leaving him to his peaceful world as I continued, forward, trying to dodge as many autograph and photo opportunities I could.

"Amazing turnout!" Lenne shouted, finding her way back to me.

"What did you expect? You make a concert at a time like this _and_ feature the musical debut of Zanarkand's most beloved blitzer? You've got blitz and music fans flocking together, it's gonna be a circus!" I responded, laughing happily .

"Yes, I was surprised to say the least. Actually, I met a very excited elderly man just before. He shook my hand like he was cranking an old generator! I think he's over there. He skipped off yelling about how happy he was to have a ticket and to have shaken my hand on top of it. He was really sweet."

The theater was over-packed with people like I've never seen. I can say that because every time the Abes had a game, the stadium was always littered with people cheering their lungs out, regardless of which team they were cheering, but _sold out_ was good enough. This time, they had to bring in modified airships just to let more people experience it. It never happened before. Lenne took me to the backstage area where she fixed up my outfit like she usually did even when I was going to blitz. This time, she just paced herself to have a good look at my bandages.

" We have a real treat for you tonight ladies and gentlemen. Tonight, in his primetime debut, Ultima Entertainment brings you Tidus, star blitzer for the Zanarkand Abes. Let's give Tidus a big round of applause." Some announcer exclaimed, pointing toward me when he was done with the introductions.

I casually waved at the audience and performed a light bow, my usual cockiness taking over. I certainly did a number on creating this cover life for myself.

"Thank you for your warm reception, ladies and gents. Now, I'd like to play a small tune I wrote myself. Please enjoy the melody and hopefully my musical abilities will allow you some tranquility in this time of… _disquiet_ shall we say?" I spoke, my words as apathetic yet as caring as I could make it.

It was the star's method of speech as paradoxical as it may sound. You had to make it seem like you were on top of the world, but also add a tone of sympathy so that they know you are going through the same problems they face. It was the adoring humanizing factor to stardom.

"The piece is entitled, Eternity's Memory." I said with a finishing gesture, placing myself in front of the grand piano.

I played my soothing medley to the end, hoping that my talents were able to ease the tension of my beloved city and home. I hit each chord and took extra care to keep the rhythm and beat just right, hearing much desired applause afterward. It was my wish that the people of Zanarkand could take comfort in my music… and maybe it would help ease my own pain, as well.

"And now, what you guys all came here to see. Lenne! You're on!" I announced after taking my second bow.

Lenne stepped onto the stage and smiled at me as she glided past. I quickly moved back to the backstage area and watched on from behind the curtain.

"She's lovely isn't she?" A voice whispered from behind.

"Yea… she is…" I whispered back, not taking my eyes off my love.

"Are you all ready to have fun?!" Lenne called out, waving at everyone. The crowd screamed, men whistling their love for her and women cheering her on.

"Take care of her, Shu…" The voice whispered again.

"What do you mean?" I questioned, quickly turning to face the mystery person, but to my dismay, he was gone.

"Who was that?" I muttered to myself as I slowly returned my attention to my songstress.

The lights dimmed throughout the atrium. The masses silenced themselves as if implored by the darkness.

What can I do for you?

Spotlights erupted from the stage to reveal my girl, an array of emotions flooding the scene by her mere presence. Music started to play as the stage lit up brightly for all to see her grace. Lenne, my angel…

What can I do for you? _Get down_

What can I do for you? _Alright_  
What can I do for you?

I can hear you!

What can I do for you? _Oh oh_

What can I do for you? _Ooh baby_

What can I do for you?

Ano hi kokoro no kanata ni egaiteta basho ni iru  
Tohou ni kure detari suru keredo mou modorenai

Yume ni mita katachi to wa  
Nani mo kamo ga chigau  
Genjitsu ni wa memai sae suru

While she sang, my heart projected memories of our life together, reminiscent of the song's significance.

_ She'd told me that she wasn't sure where her life was going until that day nearly a year ago. After seeing my shadowy form enter into the light in her first ever blitz game, she couldn't fathom ever going back to how her life was. Unable to be herself, unable to reveal her emptiness outside of song. She had no one after her parents were taken, nor did she try to find friends. Too many shallow fans had caged her spirit in distrust, though she longed for companionship. When I barged into her dressing room that night, she told me she could feel the locks rusting, coring in the sea of my blue eyes. I'd lit a spark in her, one that would change her forever._

Riaru na sekai ni yureteru kanjou  
Maketakunai  
Mou tada hashiru shika nai kono mune ni  
Kikoete kuru  
Kimi wa hitori jyanai

_She'd always run away from challenges, always trying to be docile. It made her feel weak and juvenile. She hated herself for letting her problems dwindle, letting her destiny be set up for her by others. With me around, she told me she felt strong and that her courage grew. She started to grow a more assertive side, no longer hiding her true charisma._

What can I do for you?

What can I do for you?

What can I do for you?

I can hear you!

What can I do for you?

What can I do for you?

What can I do for you?

Kesshite furimuki wa shinai anata ni wa tayoranai  
Nanika ga areba kanarazu sugu ni kite kureru kara

Ima boku ni dekiru koto  
Sore wa shinjiru koto  
Shinjitsu nara kono mune ni aru

_"What is that thing?" I gaped, eyes searching the beast for any weak point. _

"_It's Zodiac, a banished Aeon! The fayth of this creature was corrupted by its summoner. Sadly, the evil presence its summoner bore morphed it into that monster." Lenne explained, pointing an empathic finger at it. _

"_Stay behind me. I'll take care of it!" I exclaimed, as it made an advance. _

"_No… I have to purify it. Only I can. I won't hide from my duties as a summoner. I won't depend of you, Shuyin. I must be true to my heart and save this lost soul." With that, she summoned Elumina and sang the Sonata of Submission, her ultimate overdrive. _

_The sheer impulsion of Lenne's persuasive serenade paralyzed the Aeon as it patiently waited for Elumina's sanctifying arrows. When Zodiac dissipated, its purged fayth mouth its gratitude, joining the Farplane in a colorful wave around us. _

"_Lenne…" I murmured in venerable stupefaction. _

"_I don't need to be afraid anymore… I know you'll be there for me when I need you so… I don't have to rely on you all the time." Her words flowed gently amid the pyreflies._

Wait… this wasn't a part of the original song. She must have added it in later. Lenne, you know I'll be there when you need. And, you know I'll be there only when you need. I promise you that.

Riaru na sekai ni yureteru kanjyou  
Sasaeru no wa  
Sou anata ga oshietekureta subete  
Ima no watashi  
Dakara, hitori jyanai

_"Remember to look away from your target and even move like you aren't going for it. That way, it'll be that much more of a surprise once you go for it." I told her while we were swimming around in the Sphere Pool months back. _

"_I'll remember." She replied, diligently trying to understand what I was asking of her._

_"Lenne, stay low! They can't get at you if they can't detect you. Try to breathe deeply, but quietly. Also, don't move around if you can avoid it. Let them come to you. You wanna be the stalking predator as long as you can. Don't ever take your eyes off them. It could mean life and death." I had told her that one day when we were in the Calm Lands waiting for fiends. _

_She learned a lot about defending herself against fiends and the like then. It was also when she found the Ixion fiend. Attacking wasn't her forte until then. I remember having to come to her aid a few times, but in the end, she was stronger because of it. She was trying to tell me that with this added verse to her song._

What can I do for you?

What can I do for you?

The soft interlude returned me to the Sphere Dome as I watched her move smoothly, silky steps to relax herself for the next segment.

What can I do for you?

What can I do for you?

_What what what_… What can I do for you?

What can I do for you?

I can hear you…

Riaru na sekai ni yureteru kanjou  
Kanjitemo  
Anata ga me wo tojita nara soko ni iru  
Kizuna ga aru  
Dakara, hitori jyanai

_Several weeks back, I was separated from Lenne and Kirin while we were fighting Bevelle. I searched for them frantically, remembering that I'd nearly lost them the last time. An hour passed and still no sign of either of them. Then, with my attention diverted, a few machina had located me, stampeding toward me with munitions ablaze. I ran as fast as I could, but as the battle was dragging, my stamina had drained and I was losing my strength. I finally noticed that Kirin was safely with Jurama and Rothel, but they were all too far away to help. I resolved to turn around and face them all, even if I'd most definitely be obliterated._

_Making a backflip, I turned in midair, landing in front of the collection and preparing for the worst. Suddenly, a gust of jasmine surged across my senses and Thunder rained down on them, thunder from an Ixion, Lenne's._

_"Shuyin! Are you okay?" I heard behind the wall of the enemy regiment. _

"_Lenne?" _

_Moments later, an axe tore through the lot of them, revealing Foricon, Yunalesca's strongest Aeon. _

"_Blitzer, are you injured?" She asked me, approaching me side-by-side with my love. _

"_Lenne…"_

Riaru na sekai ni yureteru kanjou  
Maketakunai  
Mou tada hashiru shika nai kono mune ni  
Kikoete kuru  
Kimi wa hitori jyanai

What can I do for you? _Get down_

What can I do for you? _Alright_  
What can I do for you?

I can hear you!

What can I do for you? _Oh oh_

What can I do for you? _Ooh baby_

What can I do for you?

I can hear you!

Making a few finishing poses, Lenne winked at the crowd, "I can hear you!"

Fireworks exploded in the finale while Lenne and her backup dancers struck their ending pose.

The crowd cheered wildly, shouting, "Encore, encore!"

I wouldn't have minded another song myself so I, too, applauded, though meekly so as not to disrupt her concentration.

"Well, if that's what you guys want, that's what you'll get!" Lenne shouted with a few giggles,

"This next song is a new one I wrote recently and I think you'll enjoy it. It was inspired by someone very dear to my heart and all the experiences we've been through together. The name of the song is _Suteki da ne_…"

Isn't it wonderful? What was that? She wrote a new song? Experiences? My queries would soon be quelled as she took to the mic yet again.

Kaze ga yoseta kotoba ni  
Oyoida kokoro  
Kumo ga hakobu ashita ni  
Hazunda koe

Tsuki ga yureru kagami ni  
Furueta kokoro  
Hoshi ga nagare koboreta  
Yawarakai namida

Suteki da ne  
Futari te wo tori aruketanara  
Ikitai yo  
Kimi no machi ie ude no naka

_Love, it brought us together, thousands of words, expressions littering the stars. However, the star fade, they are so clear anymore. The war, the lies, the abominable changes of Spira… they were coating us in compromise, staining our souls with malice._

_Lenne felt it, that I wasn't being honest with her. She sang of her tears, tears spilled as she reflected all the innocence that had died so we could ready ourselves for the horrors of battle._

Sono mune  
Karada azuke  
Yoi ni magire  
Yume miru

Kaze wa tomari kotoba wa  
Yasashii maboroshi  
Kumo wa yabure ashita wa  
Tooku no koe

Tsuki ga nijimu kagami wo  
Nagareta kokoro  
Hoshi ga yurete koboreta  
Kakusenai namida

Suteki da ne  
Futari te wo tori aruketanara  
Ikitai yo  
Kimi no machi ie ude no naka

_A dream of returning to a moment of peaceful pleasure, to have you in my arms, cradling your fragile heart from all the harm that would come. Yes, Lenne… I want to relive that night, too, lying peacefully on your couch without a care in all the world. Complacent with your warmth in my embrace, synonymous heartbeats echoing a lifetime of pleasurable solace. We'll get back to those days of old, Lenne. Just have faith, my angel. We'll go hand-in-hand back to "our world". Give me another chance to show you that the dream is not yet extinguished!_

Sono kao  
Sotto furete  
Asa ni tokeru

Yume miru

She finished her song and again the fans cheered. It was most likely they didn't understand the sarcastic expressions that laced her words, how she felt that her dram of peace would never come. The fact was, I didn't want her to have to deal with so many uncertainties that might occur in the future. It was my wish to keep her out of harm's way if I could help it and I had failed. The war was tearing us apart.

The concert ended and everyone left except the two of us. For a while, neither of us spoke, her still looming over the stage, staring out at the emptied auditorium, and me still hiding myself behind the backstage curtain.

"I know you've been hiding things from me, shading what you truly feel. I want to let you know that it's okay. I've accepted that you want me to be happy. When you're ready, I know you'll tell me." She said at last, unwavering in her position on the stage.

"I'm sorry… I only wanted to keep you from unnecessary distress. I didn't know it was hurting you so…" I replied, keeping my voice down due to shame.

I failed to protect her, the delicate purity she once held. She saw right through my false words of hope. She…

"Tidus! Lenne!" An anguished and breathless voice sounded from behind.

"Areth! What's wrong?" I asked him, picking him up by the shoulders to keep him from tipping over.

"W-we were scouting… They… they had us surrounded! There wasn't anything we could do. That's when… when… Kai… Oh no… Why did he have to do it?! Why?!!" He cried, tears streaming down his face.

"No… not him too…" I muttered, finding myself lost in conflicting thoughts once more. My mind blanked as I continued to stare at the broken man, watching as an endless amount of tears slid down his cheeks, flushing them ever more red in his agony.

"It'll be okay, Areth. It'll be okay…" I heard Lenne whisper to the grief-stricken man, holding back her own sadness, her own tears.

This war would be the death of us all…


	26. Chapter 25

_ Chapter 25: Unexpected Changes_

They were both gone… Damu and Kai… We'd lost them. They were never coming back…

"This can't be happening…" I stammered lowly, still staring at the distraught man in Lenne's arms.

I couldn't believe this turn of events. First, Damusa… then, Kai. This couldn't continue. Bevelle's true form had erupted into being and with its terrible cry, two of my friends had become its tribute. Everyone I loved was in jeopardy…

In the following days, we were all rather silent. Areth wasn't talking to anyone except Trista, locking himself in her room. Obviously, the death of his best friend was killing him just as much as Damu's death had to Ju. They'd both lost their childhood companions and it was my fault. I should've realized Kai would pull a stunt like Damusa did. It was he who'd whispered to me at the start of Lenne's concert. It was obvious, but I couldn't take my focus off of her for just that one precious second, stopped Kai from sacrificing himself. Just like it was with Damu… If I'd been concentrating more on the battle, I wouldn't have missed Bevelle's surge of aggression and wouldn't have been caught while exhausting myself in making reparations. Because of me, my carelessness, two people I cared about lost their best friends. Would the same thing happen to me? I don't know how I'd react if Rothel was taken. I couldn't even imagine it; it was too unfathomable… If Bevelle ever took Rothel from me, they'd regret it. I promised myself then that I would make Bevelle suffer deeply if they took away any more of my loved ones. They'd bleed a gallon for every ounce they spilled. Counting Damu and Kai, that wasn't adding well for them. Of course, I'd still have to wait a bit before I could go back into the fray and exacting my revenge.

With my wound still healing, I was rather helpless. "But just you wait… I'll be back in full soon. Bevelle, I swear to you, you'll pay for my friends' sorrow… and you'll pay dearly…"

"How are you holding up, Shuyin?" Kirin asked, when I bumped into her somewhere in the eastern sector of D-North, the oldest part of Zanarkand.

"I'm fine, Kirin. Actually, I should be asking you that. And how's Ju doing?" I responded, looking to her with concern.

"I'm okay… Ju's not doing so well, though. All he does now is look at all the things he and Damu did as kids. He keeps talking about what they've done, the memories they shared… he talks about it up to… well, you know…" Kirin said solemnly, a stray tear sliding down the side of her face.

It was probably one of the only tears Kirin's ever shed. She was always the strength of joy that held the rest of us in the bad times. I relied on her power when my mother died. Her death had nearly cost me my sanity, but Kirin was there to help me come to terms with it. She stood strong and tried to lift my spirits despite how distraught I was. She'd helped Jurama in his earlier years, when the Black Magic was too much for him and threatened to overtake his will. She was there to hold his mind, to keep the magic in check. All that time, when we'd given up, lost our way, shed our tears, she had smiled throughout it all, comforting us with our problems even though her own heart was breaking. It was the hardest thing in the world to cause her to show her grief and Bevelle had accomplished it. They'd pay for that, too…

The two of us walked on for a bit in silence, a rarity when it came to Kirin. It was killing me that her innocent and lively spirit was tainted to such a degree.

"Hey, blitz season starts soon." I said loudly, desperately trying to lighten the mood.

"Huh?" Kirin replied, "Oh… that's right. I'd forgotten…" I wasn't about to give up. I wasn't about to let Kirin lose the thing I love about her the most.

"Yea, I heard that the Al Bhed are really _Psyched_ about it." I said with emphasis, hoping she'd hear the bad pun and at least crack a smile.

To my fortune, I saw the slightest of grins take shape on her beautiful face. "Yea, they have that Naru and Tappa now, right? I heard they're pretty tough. What do you make of them?" She inquired, the sadness in her heart seeming to die down.

"Well, Naru might not be so bad. I'm worried about Tappa. They say he's a great forward." I analyzed, thinking about what I'd heard, though I really didn't care. My ploy was working. Kirin was regaining herself!

"You don't think Naru is gonna be tough? Why? Is it because she's a girl?" She questioned with a shove.

'Yes! She's coming back!' I silently cheered.

Quickly, I took up a cross-armed, smug look and exclaimed, "Whatever do you mean? It's quite obvious that guys are way better blitzers than any girl could be."

"Hmph! When Naru beats your butt, don't come crying to me!" Kirin replied in a huff.

All I could do to hide my stupid-looking grin from showing was to bite my lip. It just wouldn't come off my face because I felt far too excited at my success to even keep up the act. Kirin, her vibrance had been returned to her.

A few moments later, a hand touched my shoulder and Kirin's voice smoothly whispered, "Thanks for that, Shuyin. I really needed it."

"No problem…"

We continued walking through D-North's quiet streets, eventually ending up… at _that_ place… "Oh, we must have made a wrong turn somewhere!" Kirin quickly yelped, realizing where we were, "I'm sorry…"

It was my mother's old house, completely abandoned after her death because I wouldn't allow anyone to go near it, let alone move in. As I stated, my mother's death was a rather painful one for me and emotional management is a skill I have never excelled at.

"It's… okay… I guess it was due time I finally came back here…" I started to say, tears starting to well up in my eyes from scars never truly healed, "It's been… it's been… ten years…"

Kirin was my only reason for not crumbling into dust in the days following her death. The way she saved me from despair was to distance myself from the pain and allowing time to do the rest. For better or worse, at least it got me through the following years until my heart finally let go of her death and _moved on_. That was why she had apologized, though. She knew I never really moved on, just that I repressed it, becoming angry if someone called me a bastard or silent if the subject of her passing came up.

"Anyway, I owe you a lot of gratitude for what you did for me back then. It meant all of Spira to me that you talked to me, comforted me, and helped me to let go of this bit of sorrow. Besides, it's been nearly a decade. I think I should confront my past and completely seal off that old wound. Wouldn't you say so?" I uttered, trying to sound as apathetic as possible, but I knew I was failing miserably.

The tears were sliding down my cheeks without end and I felt my entire body start to tremble. So much for letting it go. All my heart really did was cling to Kirin for dear life.

"Shuyin… We should just get out of here. C'mon, let's go." She told me, grabbing my arm gently and trying to tug me away from the site.

I didn't budge. This had gone on long enough. I was nineteen years old, twenty in just a few more months. I had to confront the grievances of my past, "No… I won't run away from my pain. I won't put all of it on you, not anymore. You've done far too much for me already."

Closing my eyes, I let it all sink in. My mother died out of grief. Jecht, my father, had gone training for blitz one day at the beach and drowned due to an unexpected tidal wave. It broke my mother's heart to hear the news that he was gone and hoping against hope, she prayed that having not found a body, it meant he was still alive somewhere. However, sooner or later, she realized that he wasn't ever coming back. Day by day she withered. Day by day she suffered. Though I had been glad to know that Jecht got what he deserved, I wished endlessly for the lout to return and bring my mother out of her living death.

After she passed, many people, friends or family to both, tried to console me, telling me that, "When a lovebird dies, the one left behind just gives up living so it can join its mate."

I used to hate it when people tried to tell me things like that. I hated it so much because… because deep in my heart I knew it was true. Mom loved that… Jecht… so much that once he left her, she just lost her energy.

"She left me to be with my old man and that's all there is to it. I can't change it now…" I mumbled, my voice shaking tremendously and my face contorting into a self-pitying smirk.

Kirin quickly turned me to face her and grabbed onto my shoulders roughly, "She didn't leave you! Don't you ever think that! She loved you as much as she loved your father, but when your heart breaks… it's just… hard…"

I couldn't handle it anymore. The tears stung my eyes and all I could do was shake my head and hold in my grief as best I could, but it was a hopelessly losing struggle.

"Let it out, Shuyin. You've held back those tears for nearly ten years now. It's about time you let your feelings show. You're only human, after all." She told me, hugging me gently and patting me on the back.

I didn't know whether to feel extremely grateful that she was still protecting me like this or extremely embarrassed at myself for being a superstar blitzer in his mature adult years crying over something that happened so long ago.

"Are you okay?" Kirin asked me as we left about an hour later.

"I'm fine, now. I think I've finally let go, for real this time." I responded, smiling as much as I could. My eyes still burned somewhat, having released so much anguish all at once.

"Okay… What about your other wound?" She asked, accepting my words and changing the subject to talk about the other wound still present in my side, the one that was not nearly as harsh my ten year scar.

"Heh, don't worry about that. It'll take a lot more than a stab into my gut to keep me down. I'll be back in full before blitz season starts." I reassured my friend, patting the area lightly, but confidently.

She shook her head and giggled a little, "Same old Shuyin."

"So, we had a nice cry, huh?" I joked after.

"Haha, you cried. I laughed, remember?" She returned with a giggle.

"Hey! That's not fair! I'm the one that got you that giggle back, dammit!" I grumbled.

To that, Kirin pulled me close and kissed me on my cheek, "Yes… you certainly did."

Another hour passed and Kirin decided it was about time she headed to her actual destination. "So, you're going to go see Ju? Give him my best. I really hope we can finish this damn war already and stop all this senseless killing. I'll see you later, Kirin." I told her, sending her off on her way.

She smiled back before turning to leave, taking a deep breath to absorb all the tension and help lift Ju's spirits like she did in the past. I watched for a little while, seeing her form slowly disappear around the next corner.

I still needed to figure out what to do. After all, Bevelle wasn't going to stop murdering my people by themselves. I needed to find a way to end the war quickly so no more people would die, families made to suffer, friends put through such agony. There must have been some angle I wasn't looking at. We had machina and so did they. However, we also had summoners and they lacked that. Then again, their machina could easily cream both our machina and summoners in a heartbeat. Lenne already had a few close encounters. It wasn't like her overdrives worked on those mechanical demons. As strong as her Aeons were, they can't take down cold, unflinching steel forever, either. In fact, Lenne, Larea, and Yunalesca herself seemed to be three of the very few capable summoners. For the most part, the summoners weren't all that gifted. Many of them still hadn't even gotten their Key Aeon, like Lenne did with Elumina. Actually, come to think of it, aside from Elumina, the only Key Aeons I'd seen were Larea's Magus Sisters, Trista's Yojimbo, and Yunalesca's Foricon. I'd been capable of blocking Foricon's axe even after Trista's Bahamut put those three huge gashes across my chest. I was also able to take down Trista's Yojimbo, though, the stupid thing didn't even attack me until she paid it, which made it pretty useless. If this was the best we could offer against Bevelle, we'd be finished in less than five minutes should they come at us full force. We needed a good solid plan like Takuma always came up with. Maybe I could think up something like his "use their machina against them" tactic. _Unfortunately, when I eventually did come up with that plan, it would already be too late…_

"Tidus?" A voice called from behind. It was Areth's voice, though completely devoid of his former suavity.

"Oh… how've you been getting by?" I asked, offering my sympathetic tone of speech.

"He hasn't. He's been crushed. I… I don't even know what more to do." Trista said, coming up from behind him.

The man was utterly pitiful to look at. His hair was a mess, his shoulders dangling, and not a single bit of life could be found in his eyes.

"I know it hurts. Believe me, I know how painful it can be to lose someone that close to you. You just need to let it out. Cry if you have to. You can't bury your feelings inside of you and let it eat you alive. I made that mistake ten years ago with my mother." I told him, trying to get him to lift his head and look me in the eye.

"It's not that simple… He's gone, Tidus… Kai's gone…"

He simply couldn't be helped. Kai was his closest friend and his own hometown had been the cause of Kai's death. I guess, unlike me, when depressed, Areth just sinks. Perhaps that was a better reaction. My anger and hatred were the reasons why it took me ten years to finally have the maturity to let go.

"You know, Areth, Tidus is right. You can't let Kai's death eat you alive like this. You have to just let it go. Look to the future. We'll squash Bevelle into the ground for what they did to you!" She said, holding gently to Areth's sagging shoulders.

"I… It's just… Kai… He was… He was the only family I had left. My parents died a while back because of some fiends and… Kai was the only person… He was the guy that supported you to the end when you were down… Now he's gone… I just… I don't even know…" He mumbled, lost in his own train of thought.

"You've still got me. I'm not going anywhere." Trista said lovingly, putting her forehead to his.

"Listen to her, Areth. Kai's gone… There's nothing any of us can do to change that… The thing is… you haven't lost everything yet so instead of sulking about things that are out of your control, remember that you can still do something to safeguard the people that haven't been taken just yet." I followed up, patting his arm with a comforting hand, "So mourn now, but come back with a fury later, 'kay?"

I smiled at him sincerely, hoping he'd do the same. Thankfully… well, sort of… he did crack a smile, that smile that creeped me out all the time, but it couldn't be helped. I wasn't going to be the tactless lout that discriminated a facial expression.

"Well, we've got to go pay a visit to someone, I think." Trista spoke up.

"Yes… I think I should just get it over with, let my mind be at peace." Areth returned, nodding to her.

"Going to see Kai?" I asked humbly.

They nodded and I moved aside to let them pass. This was a good idea that Trista had and I was growing respect for her with each passing day. If Areth could just see Kai again, even if it was his spirit, it would still be good for him. Actually, that was another thing I hadn't done in ten years.

With them off to the Farplane Glen, I was left to my own devices. One series of thoughts remained ongoing in my mind: What could Zanarkand do to beat Bevelle? What could I do to keep Lenne safe? What could I do to end the death toll? How could I insure that Kai would be the last one of my friends to die? What…

"Yo, T!" Yet another voice called, breaking my concentration once more.

"Rothel! Hi! Oh, and hey there Larea." I said happily, seeing my best friend and his girl.

"Hey bro! This season o' blitz is gonna rock! I can't wait 'til we get in that ol' Sphere Pool and kick some ass!" He replied, loud as ever.

I couldn't help but smile at him, though a part of me dreaded a day when I might have to bury him, treading the same path as Areth and Ju. "Hey, who are we facing first in the pre-season anyway? I heard it was either the Guado or the Al Bhed."

"Heheheh, that's the best part! Haru talked to me a little bit ago an' guess what? We gonna be takin' on the Psyches! We'll knock 'em out first an' the trophy's as good as ours." He exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Haru? Where'd he hear this from? That rookie's sure starting to get the hang of things." I returned, impressed by the progress he'd made. He'd started off roughly, trying to pull off my Jecht Shot and failing, but he was really getting into it.

"Nah man. He ain't hear it from nobody. He got us with the Psyches himself. Told me, everythin's gonna go accordin' to plan." Rothel corrected.

So, Haru scheduled the game with us versus the Al Bhed Psyches himself? That was quite a bit of good thinking on his part. If we could take out the Psyches in the pre-season, they'd be far less ready to partake in the actual season. Not only that, but facing them in the pre-season meant we'd get to know their strategies and I'd get the hang of how Naru and Tappa work.

"Kudos to the rookie then, eh?" I suggested, making a thumbs up.

"You got that right. Anyways, how's the gut? You gonna be in the startin' line-up wit us or are you gonna let me get all the glory to myself? I could get used to that, ya know?" He asked with a slight snicker, patting me on my wound.

"Don't you even think about it, Rothel. I'm planning on stealing _all_ of your glory." I joked back, grasping quickly at the air to demonstrate the snatching of Rothel's precious glory. Following suit, he raised his fist and shook it at me, while pretending to look angry.

"Anyway, what are you guys doing out here today?" I asked.

Rothel snickered yet again, "I'm tyin' the knot."

I thought he was kidding, of course. Rothel? _The_ Rothel, getting married? "What kind of a knot? Can I see?" I humored him, not thinking to take him seriously.

"No, he means we're… engaged." Larea replied straightforwardly, thinking all of our mockery was for real.

"Wait… you mean you really are… and… wait what?" I stuttered, baffled as I was at the news.

"Yup, ol' Rothie's tyin' the knot. Betcha never saw that one comin', right?" He responded, pointing his finger at my nose.

I still couldn't believe it until, impetuous as he was, he shoved his and Larea's engagement rings right in my face… literally. "Ah, get away!" I shouted, pushing back both their hands as the gems pressed into my cheek, "What brought on this decision?"

"Bro, this war ain't goin' nowhere. I figure, if I'm gonna die, might as well be hitched to this hunny an' go in style." He told me with a casual wink.

"We both decided that if Zanarkand loses this war, at least we will both be bonded in marriage and know exactly how we feel for each other. That way, we should have no regrets if the worse does come." Larea added, probably thinking I'd need a translation for Rothel's street talk.

"Wow… I never thought I'd see the day you were more of a romantic than I." I told him, smiling my approval.

Yet, deep in the recesses of my mind, I felt fear sting my heart, fear of the reality that was losing Rothel to this war.

"What 'bout you and Lenne, ya know? Ain't you thinkin' 'bout the future, too? What you doin' out here anyways?" He asked.

I wasn't out here to think about marrying Lenne, that was for sure. The thought hadn't even occurred to me. What would I do if Zanarkand did end up losing despite our efforts? I guess if had to die, I might as well do so with the woman I loved. Maybe I should do as Rothel and marry Lenne. I knew I loved her. What was stopping me from going for it? While I considered this possible new destiny, my hand unconsciously grabbed the chain around my neck and I started to stare into space, lost in contemplation.

"Hey, T, ya alright?" Rothel asked, waving a hand in front of my eyes. As I returned to the present, I haphazardly nodded to him, thought the prospect of marrying Lenne still had me in its grasp.

I left Rothel and Larea after a while and wandered around on my own again. Really, what was stopping me from getting married to Lenne? Walking around for thirty minutes aimlessly ended me up standing in front of a jewelry store, staring into space as I continued to process the idea. I had bumped into Haru along to way and applauded him for scheduling the game and also asked for his thoughts on whether or not I should wed. He told me that I should just go for it and get a ring so there I was, being an idiot by staring at the glass pointlessly. I was fixed in front of the store, still unsure of whether or not to enter. I wanted to do this. I loved Lenne… but was it right to just marry her because I was afraid to lose her if we died?

"Sir, can I help you with something? The salesgirl asked, actually coming out of the shop just to get me to stop loitering.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was just… thinking…" I told her honestly, having still no solid resolve in me to buy a ring.

Eventually, I suppressed my concerns and decided to go for it regardless of my doubts.

"Well, what do you want to look at?" She asked, still fidgeting around with something in her apron pockets.

"I wanted to look at some rings… Not that I'd know which to get… I'm a little lost here." I admitted, laughing at my own idiocy.

I never bought a bit of jewelry in my entire life. Even my earring was done at home by Kirin. She thought it'd look cute so I just let her. Then, the only other piece of jewelry I had was my necklace and that I got from Lenne.

"Well, we've got quite a selection and I can always help you find one." She offered me, finally looking up to scan me fully, "Oh my! Tidus! You… you… you're Tidus, star blitzer of the Abes! WOW!!!" She started breathing really raggedly and waving her hand to fan herself.

"Yea, I know. But… could we just keep it down a bit?" I said, trying to calm her down by putting my hands on her shoulders, but that only riled her up even more.

"Wow, Tidus has his hands on my shoulders. I'm actually being calmed down by Tidus! This is so great!" She squealed, causing me more aggravation with each passing second.

Finally, after a few more minutes of squealing, jumping up and down, and begging me for an autograph, she relaxed herself enough to help me look for a ring.

"So, who's the lucky lady?" She asked, most likely having day dreams that I'd reply with a, "Why you, of course."

If I'd said Lenne, no doubt the girl would explode on me again, so instead I told her, "A summoner. She's not someone you'd recognize. Anyway, her name is…" I started looking around for something to help me make up any dumb name, "…Violet."

I had found a vase with some flowers that the girl had on a shelf behind the counter and noted that specific one to call Lenne by.

"Oh, how lucky for her…" The girl responded with many hints of disappointment in her voice.

We looked at the rings for around a couple of hours, me being the dope that didn't know an engagement ring from a toe ring. "I really have no idea what she'd like. This is so not my forte. Why does this have to be so complicated?" I grumbled, starting to get a little frustrated since anything the girl showed me I always thought wasn't good enough for Lenne.

"You know, it's only hard because you love her. It shows how much she really means to you that you'd spend this long finding the perfect one for her." The girl informed me, swooning over the fact that I could be so much like her image of the perfect romantic.

I kept looking and eventually, she pointed out this pretty cute-looking flower-shaped one with a heart-shaped centerpiece. The petals were all pure diamonds and the heart was a rare pink stone, a FarGem, supposedly created from a crystallized form of pyreflies. It had a mystical glow to it, appearing to be resonating by my touch. It seemed to look like something Lenne would like so I got that one. I also told the girl that I'd like to add an engraving:

_For love that lasts an eternity, I will always be by your side. Shuyin_.

Of course, when I told her I wanted that message engraved, she just had to say, "Aw!!!!! How romantic!"

I waited about an hour for the engraving to be completed. It was a good thing that it took that long because it gave me the chance to rehearse. I had to practice my line… over and over again, placing myself in front of the viewing mirror like I was trying to propose to my reflection.

"Will you marry me, Lenne? No, that sucks. I want you to be my wife, Lenne… Yes, and after that, I shall run your life! Bwahahah… I really suck at this…" I groaned to the mirror, ending up doing incredibly dumb skits in front of it because I got frustrated with being frustrated and then bored because my frustration wasn't getting me anywhere.

"I am so bad at these things." I grumbled at my image, finally giving up on my approach and settling on just shoving the ring in her face and hoping she knew which words to put in my mouth.

"Aw, you aren't so bad. I think that last skit you did was pretty good. 'I love you with all my heart. Please be my wife?'" She said, mimicking my last approach.

"You heard all that?!" I whined.

There were actually two problems with this: First of all, I had said "Lenne" a few times when I told her that I was marrying a flower. Then, there was just the sheer embarrassment of having someone overhearing your goofy ways of asking someone to marry you.

"Oh, don't worry. I didn't even catch the first, like, five or so. Anyway, I really think you should go with that last one. Oh, but don't do the girl part of the skit. By the way, who's Shuyin?" She suggested, pondering the name of my true identity.

"Uh… Shuyin's just some name I came up with." I lied, blushing over the fact that she had heard the entire skit, even the part where I impersonated Lenne accepting, "I think I just mashed up Shoopuff in my aggravation."

"Oh? You make up names, do you?" She joked, "Well, _Shuyin_, here's your ring." She winked at me before skipping back to the backroom to clean up.

"Thanks! Wish me luck!" I replied, leaving with ring box in hand.

I stared at the velvet container bearing its highly valuable item within while thinking about that line the girl had liked.

"I love you with all my heart…"

It sounded mushy, but mushy was good for what I was about to do.

"I love you with all my heart… Lenne…"

I only walked for a few seconds when, suddenly, an explosion thrust me forward to the ground. As I shook the stars from my head, I realized that the explosion had come from behind me meaning…

"The Jewelry Store!"

I quickly turned to look and, as I thought, the entire building was up in flames. One awful thought embedded itself into my mind: The girl that I was just talking to was back in that inferno.

"Are you okay?! Please answer me!" I screamed desperately, making my way towards the wreck.

After peering into the larger crevices, I saw her body, charred beyond recognition just like Damusa had been. Rage flushed through my systems. I burst back outside and wouldn't you know it, the Bevelle machina and a small squadron were right there waiting for me.

"You really didn't want to do this." I growled, unsheathing my sword and slicing at the first of them as he ran straight into me while I did so.

I wasn't going to let any of them get away with this. None would escape my wrath. That girl hadn't even been fighting. She was going through a normal routine day. She didn't deserve to die like that. No, Bevelle was pushing it too far. I dodged the machina's array of munitions and followed through each time by slicing through yet another soldier. I made sure to hack at them in the most painful places, the stomach, throat, or straight through the length of an arm and into the heart. Finally, all of their blood had spilled onto my sword, immersing it in a bath of warm life-sustaining crimson.

"Your turn you ugly piece of Bevelle shit!" I roared, charging up my Force Rain overdrive.

The energy engulfed the metal monstrosity and disintegrated it, leaving behind scorch marks from where my waves of energy had struck.

I decided I should get back to Lenne as fast as I could just to make sure she was safe. When I got to her house, I realized something…

"THE RING!" I shouted aloud, searching frantically for it, but unable to find it.

I must have dropped it when the store was destroyed. Before I could even gather my thoughts, the door opened and Lenne walked out slowly.

"Oh, Shuyin! I wasn't expecting you…" She murmured, sounding somewhat distracted.

I would have said something about the ring, but then I noticed that Lenne was holding a sphere in her hand. "What's that?" I asked, nudging my chin over to her left hand.

That question seemed to have gotten her flustered quite a bit and I would soon regret ever asking.

"What's wrong? What's on it?" I asked again, worried as to what was troubling her.

She still wouldn't say anything to me, extending her hand out ever so slightly as a sign that I should watch it for myself. I took the sphere from her and played it, not knowing why she was so upset over it, but knowing already that something bad was about to happen.

"Summoners are all to report to the military encampment located on the Calm Lands side of Mt. Gagazet in exactly one month from today. Repeat: All summoners must report to Mt. Gagazet in exactly one month from today." The voice of Yu Yevon commanded.

I couldn't believe it… Did that man truly think that sending all the summoners to do battle with Bevelle was the solution? C-South and the newly created Duggles stadium had already been destroyed by their forces and he thought sending Lenne in would stop that from happening again?

"Lenne…" I breathed lowly, my mind at a loss from what I had just heard. I couldn't let this happen… I couldn't…

With tears finally freeing themselves from my love's eyes, she made a promise to me, her words breaking my heart into a thousand pieces, "I won't ever leave you, even if I don't make it back…"


	27. Chapter 26

_Chapter 26: Save Your Tears_

"You're not going…" I mumbled, loudly enough for her to hear me clearly, but low enough for her to realize how much those words had destroyed me.

"Shuyin, I have to go! I don't have any other choice." She quickly argued.

"It doesn't matter! You're not going!" I returned forcefully, grasping harder on the sphere in my hand.

"I thought you said to trust in Yu Yevon. What happened to _that_?" She asked harshly.

It was the lie I'd been telling her to believe so that she wouldn't have to worry. It was her greatest argument because I knew I had been caught.

Still, my anger proceeded onward, speaking for me, "Forget what I said! Yu Yevon can't help us now… You know what happened?" With that, I pulled out my sword, still stained with the blood of those I'd murdered from before, "This happened! Bevelle attacked us again, hurt us again, stole our people's lives AGAIN! I will NOT let them steal you from me, too!"

I stabbed my blade into the ground and trembled from the frantic rave my absolute hatred for Bevelle had driven me to. Lenne gasped, no doubt seeing how horrifically tainted my blue sword was. It no longer had its normal faint glow. There was far too much blood concealing its pure sapphire light.

Without giving it a second thought, I pushed Lenne back into her house and shut the door behind me. "You're not leaving. That's it. I won't let you…" I stated lowly, incapable of looking her in her eyes.

I feared what she'd see in them with all the chaos consuming my soul. Evil and malevolence were all those cerulean eyes had reflected in my dream. What if that's what she'd see in me?

"You don't get to decide that…" She slowly whispered, loud enough to fill my ears with more vexation.

"So you'd rather let Yu Yevon determine whether you live or die?!" I shouted, losing all the patience left in me.

"I DIDN'T SAY THAT!" She quickly defended, raising her voice.

"Then what are you saying? You'd like to go out there and be killed by Bevelle? I won't allow it! I won't allow you to throw your life away like that!" I screamed, squeezing the sphere even harder and clenching a fist in my other hand.

"What do you want me to do? Bevelle will attack us whether or not I go with the other summoners. Would you rather see our home destroyed?!" She yelled back.

"No! I'll find a way! I'll find a way to take down Bevelle and keep Zanarkand safe. I won't lose anymore of my friends!" I shouted back, realizing the absurdity of the promise a little too late.

"You can't have everything! Don't act like a child! If you want Zanarkand to be safe, you'll have to let me go. You can't have both at the same time!" She returned, telling me nothing I didn't already know.

Of course there would be a sacrifice. There wasn't any way Zanarkand could defeat Bevelle without at least someone dying in the process. However, I was far too stubborn to admit my fault by then, "Child? Fine, I'll be a child. If it means I won't see you or Zanarkand die, then so be it! I'll be the greedy one! Someone has to realize the stupidity of sacrificing yourself for no good purpose!"

"No purpose?! I'm going to save Zanarkand! That's a worthy purpose!" Lenne screamed at me, turning her back to me.

"Save Zanarkand? And for how long is that going to last? We've tried fighting Bevelle head on! Damusa lost his LIFE because we fought head on! Do you think I want the next body I find to be yours?! We can't keep this war going the way it has been. Nothing'll ever change that way! All we'll be accomplishing is losing more and more lives and FOR WHAT?!" I roared angrily, throwing the sphere at a wall in my anxiety.

Lenne gasped at the sound of the shattering sphere, turning back to me and looking at me with the same fear in her eyes that she had whenever I showed my malicious nature. I breathed heavily, my vision clouded by a veil of crimson. This couldn't go on. I wouldn't let any more families suffer just so we could have a few moments of peace. Bevelle had to be stopped at all costs. There was nothing else to be done about it. Bevelle was the plague upon my homeland and I'd have to destroy it, one way or another.

"Shuyin, I know you don't want anybody else to die like we saw Damusa die. I know you don't want anybody else to feel all the pain that Areth is going through, but there's nothing you can do about it. Bevelle is overwhelming us and Yu Yevon is just trying to make sure that we hold them off for as long as we can." She said softly, trying to calm me down.

If it wasn't for the fact that I knew Lenne's life was in jeopardy, it might have worked. I lost my mother when I was about nine years old. It had killed me when I saw her breathe her last breath. I wasn't about to let the same thing happen to Lenne, so long as I could avoid it. What could I do? One month was all I had. One month and she would be at the front. One month and Lenne would die, her body torn to shreds by the cold mechanical demons of a vile city.

"I… I've gotta go…" I said quietly, anger replaced with despair. I knew it was too late.

"Shuyin…" She uttered sadly, pleading for me to stay.

"Don't worry… I'll come back. If I'm gone too long, I… I'll write to you…" I weakly added, unable to hide my anguish, "I-I've gotta go…"

I blindly went at the door, pulling it open roughly and shutting it as I ran outside. I made sure to retrieve my sword even in my state of mind, not wanting Lenne to see the remnants of death that marred it.

"Shuyin!" I had heard Lenne screaming behind me, just before the door shut.

I didn't bother to see if she was following me. I couldn't stay… I was confused and angry and frustrated and… and… just overwhelmed.

"Whoa! Bro, what's wit the marathon, ya know?" I heard Rothel's voice call as I ran past him, my bloodied sword still in my hand.

"Not now! Don't bother me now!" I yelled, shaking my head in an attempt to clear my mind.

I didn't know what to do anymore.

I didn't know what I could do anyway.

I kept running, not sure of where it was taking me. It was a pointless journey, only made to get my thoughts in check. I had no set destination as long as it took me somewhere. The way my head was, I was trying to find an escape anywhere I could. C-South came in range, the desolate remnants of the industrial center of Zanarkand. Sometime later, I slowed my jog to a somber walk, stopping at the ruins of the Duggles Stadium.

"This can't continue… Why? Takuma said I had an important role in the future. I don't want this. If my role, if this destiny involves all these lost innocents, I want no part of it. Zanarkand doesn't deserve it!" Grumbling, I slammed a fist into the nearby remains of a wall, "What do you want me to do? I'm… lost… No… I know exactly what my goals are…" _Child? _

_Fine, I'll be a child. If it means I won't see you or Zanarkand die, then so be it! _

"I need to save my loved ones… save Lenne…"

I left the former C-South and decided to get back home to A-East. Along the way, thoughts still a blur of worries and bleak possibilities for the outcome of this war, I felt the reality of my task hit me all at once. How exactly did I expect to protect all of my friends single-handedly? Then, _that_ thought came back: Lenne's going to be out on the front against Bevelle in just one month…

I somehow found my way to the balcony of the Kaiser Tower, headquarters of one of the leading corporations in the city. At that time, all it reminded me of was how much Zanarkand had to lose in this war. The Duggles were dead, murdered in their first practice as a team. Samaran Heights went up in flames with the destruction of our city's drug research centers. Most of A-East and D-North were left untouched, but even some of D-North's historic landmarks had been laid to ruin. As I sat on the edge of the beam in front of the balcony, I pressed my hand over my face, aggravated by all this senseless murder and meaningless bloodshed. Lenne's life hung in the balance and I would never accept her death. I was tumbling down an endless hole, powerless to stop myself from sinking deeper…

No… There was one place, one person that might have been able to help me. I quickly sped toward my house and hoped against hope that she'd be there for me in this, my most trying hour. Reaching the building, I threw myself at my hoverglyph and activated it, tossing my blade on the passenger side. I had had it unsheathed the entire time, while I failed at dealing with Lenne's inevitable fate. Recklessly, I pulled away from my house and headed towards Guadosalam. My destination wasn't actually Guadosalam, but rather the cavern next to it, the cavern which contained the entrance to the Farplane. It took me about three hours to get there, but that really didn't matter to me in my distraught state of mind. I had one month. If these few hours had to be exhausted for me to figure out what to do, it would be worth it. I parked my hover somewhere near the cave and got out, glancing at the city over the southern portion of the Moonflow before rushing into the cave and to a hopeful answer for my situation.

Once I was at the portal to the Farplane, I stopped myself. It'd been ten years since she died. I hadn't had the guts to visit her all that time. I had been a coward. If it wasn't for this new epidemic with Lenne's life on the line, I probably still wouldn't have thought to come here. Shaking my head, I decided the situation couldn't be helped and hopefully she'd forgive me for not paying her a visit more often.

"Mom? Please come. I really need your help… Life's getting to become a little unbearable. I need to ask you for some advice." I called.

A few minutes passed, but nothing happened. I was on the stone platform that led back to the cave, overlooking the entire Farplane Glen.

"Mom? Please… I really need you… I'm so confused… I think I understand what you had with dad… I think I'm in love and that love is about to be taken away from me. Please… I'm sorry I haven't come here more often… I was too afraid…" I begged, lowering my head to stare at the ground in shame.

Suddenly, I felt a presence from behind me, just slightly towards my right. That presence, I could feel it and then I sensed that something was being thrown at me. Instinctively, I turned and caught it… a blitz ball?

"What?" I gasped, startled at the object. I then realized the identity of the intruder, my enemy,

"Jecht…" I slammed the blitz ball aside and glared at my father dead in the eye.

"Almost a decade and you're still the same. You've still got a vendetta with me." He said with a laugh.

The jerk. All my life, if he was around, if his name was mentioned, I was forgotten. When I was a little kid and he was around, mom would only care about him, only care about what he was yammering about. As I grew up, it was always the same: "Look at how good Tidus is! Of course! He's got _Jecht's_ blood coursing through his veins. How can he not be good? But, he'll never be as great as _Jecht_ was." It infuriated me that he was doing this to me again especially when I was defeated to such a degree.

"You're always in my way! Why can't you just leave me alone?! Are you that egotistical? You have to stop me from seeing mom even in death?!" I screamed at him.

All he did was laugh at me again, "Shuyin, what am I gonna do with you? Haven't you figured out that I've never intentionally tried to keep you from your mother? And I can't help it if the fans still consider me great. Heck, I think you'd feel great that people are comparing you to me. I _am_ the supreme blitzer after all. No one can beat me."

Those words really earned my ire. "You never kept me from mom? Then, why is it every time you're around, I'm left to myself and abandoned? Why is it that she hovers over you? Why is it that when you died that day, she followed you?! Why is it that she left me?! WHY?!!" I shrieked, a decade's worth of resentment exploding from my heart.

"Why? I'll tell you why. Isn't it the reason you came? You're in love now, aren't ya? So tell me, what do you think would happen if Lenne died? Would you live on happily? No, I doubt you could even if you wanted to stay. The loss would be too much for you to handle. Your mother and I loved each other deeply, son. The day that tidal wave came and claimed me, all I could think about was what would your mother do if I was dead. I struggled with all my might to survive, but the wave was far too powerful. I was swept far from the shore and my strength waned. My last prayer was that your mother wouldn't let her sorrow overtake her and cause her to leave you. Unfortunately, that prayer wasn't heard. It couldn't be helped." He explained, recalling the past and feeling the pain of regret once again.

I had no idea my father would act like this. He'd never said anything relatively similar to that before. For as long as I knew him, the only things that came out of that mouth were boasts and a vile smell of liquor from drinking so much of his sake.

"Your mother didn't leave you, Shuyin. Her heart couldn't accept my death and so her life ended against her will. She would never leave you, just like I wouldn't ever leave you. We love you, kiddo. And… I'm very proud of the man you've become." He continued, his words sending some warmth to my heart.

"Dad…" I muttered, unbelievably happy to finally call him by that title, "I find I'm proud to be your son… for the first time in my life."

He walked over to me slowly, a sincere smile on his face as he pulled me into a hug, "You know, you've really grown since the last time I saw you."

"Yea, that's cuz the last time you saw me, I was nine. Dad, I really misunderstood you. I can't believe all the time I wasted hating you for something you never really did." I chuckled lightly, pushing away from him to look at his face.

"Well, now that you're all grown up and all, what say you and I have a little match?" He asked, smirking and waiting to see what I'd say.

"You wanna try me at a game of blitz?" I questioned with a cautionary tone, "Bring it old man!"

"Old man, eh? I'll show you what this old man can do." He returned, our blitz personalities taking over.

I still wanted to talk to mom, but I guess I'd let my father continue with his "calm Shuyin down before he hurts himself" plan. Besides, I'd spent a lifetime hating him. It was about time I spent some quality time with my father. Also… I really wanted to make him eat his words of being a _supreme blitzer_.

As if the Farplane itself desired to watch our performance, a Sphere Pool formed around us and a blitz ball was created. The game started and both dad and myself went after the ball while it spun upward through the water. I managed to snatch it from him and started racing to the goal. Quickly, he swam in front of me, blocking my way. I tried to maneuver around him, but to no avail. My father was far too swift for me to dodge. He wasn't like any of my previous challengers. Thinking fast, I swam right into him, allowing him to grab onto me. He had my speed, but not my flexibility. While in his grasp, I scrunched in my shoulders and slipped underneath him, going between his legs. Quickly, I placed the ball to my side, twisted, and kicked it with my leg as I came around, sending it straight for the goal.

Unfortunately, Jecht was far too much a veteran and easily deflected the sidewinder with a stiff kick of his own, sending it speeding the other way. I swam after it, but as I reached for it, he kicked me aside, using my body as a push-off towards the ball. He grabbed it and headed for the goal, but I was on him in a flash. He tried to outmaneuver me this time, but I was also too good to be dodged. Tricking him, I swam a little above him as he tried to duck under me, letting him think there was an opening. The moment he let the ball go for a quick kick, I plunged myself down and stomped it away. Making a backflip, I grabbed the ball again and headed for my goal, swimming underneath him. Once again, daddy was on me, but I knew what I had to do. Without a moment to lose, I swam up, stopping just as he came up to me. As he approached, I made an abrupt lunge upward and over him and, just like he had done, I kicked off of him, pushing myself from his shoulders, to send the ball along with me above the Sphere Pool. Turning around so my back was to the goal, I started my descent, smacking the ball hard with my foot as we plummeted back towards the water. The Jecht Shot was performed perfectly and I knew I would win, seeing as only I, myself, had ever managed to block it.

I landed back in the pool and shifted back with a smile, knowing dad had lost, but surprise surprise… He wouldn't let up. Instead, he swam at the speeding blitz ball and positioned himself. I swam up closer to see what he planned to do. That was a huge mistake. First, my father kicked the ball with his bad leg and slowed it down just like I had during the championship. Then, he kicked it again with his good leg and it came darting at me, hitting me square in the ribs. The ball ricocheted off of me and went back to him, allowing him to kick it up and then headbutt it back at me again. The same thing happened and he punched the ball at me, letting it bounce off once more, this time returning to him at an upward angle. Spiraling, he corkscrewed after the blitz ball, stopping when it got near his foot and sending it flying towards his goal.

I rushed as fast as I could, knowing exactly how good that shot was. Swimming past it, I placed myself right at the goal, leaving me just enough distance to get up a defense. I placed myself into Kirin's Blitz Strike position and waited for the blitz ball to reach. When it did, I spring-boarded off my arms to hit the ball with my feet. I sent it flying upward and out of the Sphere Pool, this time keeping myself in the water. As the ball began its freefall, I swam toward it, reaching the upper rim of the Sphere Pool as it got within a foot of the surface just opposite me. I leapt into the air, performing a forward flip and slamming the blitz ball with my heel, also hitting the outer rim of the Sphere Pool when I did. The splash was tremendous and the blitz ball's speed unimaginable. As I reentered, I watched the ball torpedo its way straight into the goal, leaving a trail of foam in its wake. Try as he did, dad couldn't catch up with it, the shot landing me the score and winning the game.

The Sphere Pool disappeared soon after, the both of us breathing heavily over the awesome match.

"That was one heckuva move! What'd ya call that thing anyway?" Dad asked, still keeled over, panting roughly.

"I haven't got a name for that one. Maybe you should come up with a name for it. You seem to love coming up with long-winded names for your moves." I huffed, trying as best I could to laugh while still gasping for breath.

He laughed a little, too, lifting himself upright and putting a hand on his chin.

"You know, I was just kidding. I'll just call it the Tidal Shot or something." I told him, seeing how he was in his "time to think up a lame name for a move" mode.

"No no no, that's far too simplistic. You should call it the… Psychedelic Tidal Surge Mark III."

I shook my head, "Dad, what is with you and Mark?"

He laughed, "Haven't I taught you anything? You need to name things so that people think you've got better in store and they're just waiting for a day when you'll reveal it to them. It'll sell out any game!"

"Dad, I _have_ sold out every game. People come just to see your old Jecht Shot in action." I told him, "After all, even your diehard fans agree, I perform that move better than anyone."

"Guess you're right. Besides, Tidal Shot sounds good as any name." He shrugged, patting me on the shoulder.

"Know what? I think I'll keep that Surge part. The Tidal Surge, that's what that move will be from now on." I replied, smiling.

It seemed to have made dad happy, "Heh, whatever you decide, I'm fine with it. Anyway, you came here to talk to your mom, right? She just wanted me to patch things up between us before she talked to you. She'll be along in a little bit. It was great spending time with you, son. I love ya, kiddo." And with that, he dispersed back into pyreflies.

I waited for another couple of minutes, using the time to prepare myself. I hadn't seen her in years and the last of my memories had her on her deathbed. I didn't want to see my mother if she'd appear that way, the way she looked at me when she told me goodbye. It would be too painful…

"I miss you…"

Soon, I felt a warm touch on my shoulder and turned, "Mom…"

"Shuyin… how I've longed to see you." She cooed softly.

I felt tears slide down my cheeks as I looked into her beautiful face, memories of my childhood flooding my mind. I tried to suck it in and just ask her what I should do about the war, but I found I couldn't even stop tearing.

"Oh Shuyin, you've become such a handsome young man. I wish I could've been there to see you grow." She continued, brushing my hair with her tender hand.

"I should've come here sooner. I was so afraid that I'd lose you if I saw you here. Fact was, I'd lost you because I didn't come here. For ten years, I suppressed my memories. For ten years, I couldn't face your death. I'm so sorry for being away all this time." I uttered weakly, embracing my mother tightly.

She patted me on the back softly, hushing my whimpers with her gentle voice as I struggled with my emotions, "You have nothing to apologize for. I know how hard it must have been for you when I passed away. I regret what happened greatly. It's why I haven't completely passed on into the Farplane."

"What do you mean? You're here, aren't you?" I asked, not understanding her words.

"Yes, I accepted my death and so did your father, but the both of us knew we'd left without knowing if you'd be okay, without knowing if you could go on. That is why we are able to speak to you. For dead who have no purpose left, they cease to exist, leaving behind only the memories they've enjoyed with others. These pyreflies react to those memories and recover the loved one, but only the image remains, recorded eternally by the Farplane. As for your father and I, we still worried about you and, because of it, we weren't capable of letting go and moving on completely. Your father just now, he had to repair the relationship between the two of you in order to accept that he no longer needed to stay." Mom explained.

"So… if you feel confident in me now, you'll also disappear forever?" I asked weakly, not wanting to face the reality that I'd lose her again.

"Shuyin, my beautiful boy. I'll never be gone unless you let _this_ go." She said sweetly, pointing to my heart, "As long as you keep me with you, I will never leave your side."

I smiled and hugged her close, appreciating her kindness, although I knew she was only trying to ease my anxiety. I knew the truth was that keeping her in my heart would merely make her what she told me just before: a memory. If she left me, the only thing left would be my thoughts of her. Perhaps, I should have been satisfied with that especially for her sake. At the time, I could only think of one thing: I had to let her go once again.

"Now," Mom proceeded, pulling me back to look at me, "you said you had a problem?"

"Mom, I'm in love with Lenne. I've found someone. Now, I know what you feel for dad." I told her.

"That's wonderful, sweetheart! Love is the best feeling in the world." She replied, smiling at me with her beautiful face.

"I know mom… but Lenne… because of the war… Yu Yevon's told all the summoners to go to the front. Mom, I don't want to lose her." I muttered solemnly.

"Oh, Shuyin… I know what this must be doing to you. Love… If you truly love her, do for her what you think you must. Consult your heart for the right answer. It will never lead you astray." She advised, picking up my chin and looking at me with reassurance glittering in her eyes.

"That's the problem. I don't know what my options are. This war has gotten so out of hand and I'm just confused and frustrated. Damusa's already dead because of it. Just the other day, Areth lost his best friend Kai, as well. Mom, this whole thing is just picking us off one by one." I told her, staring into the abyss of life.

She started to become flustered at my strife, "Shuyin, you can't let your anger and vexation cloud your mind. Think about what your goal is. You want to keep your friends and Lenne safe from harm, isn't that true?"

I nodded.

"Well then, that's the only thing you should be thinking on. What can keep them safe? What is trying to hurt them? If you can clear your mind and concentrate on these aspects, your heart will point you in the right direction."

I thought for a moment and began to understand what she was saying. She wanted me to stop the shroud of distress clouding my judgment. If I could focus on protecting Lenne and Kirin and Rothel and the rest of my friends, then and only then would I be able to find the answer I needed.

"Thank you, mom. I love you… Now, go… go and be at peace with dad. I'm sure he misses you already." I told her, hugging her one last time.

"Oh, Shuyin… I love you always. Farewell my son." She cooed, taking a few steps back before dispersing into pyreflies herself.

"Goodbye… mom."

I left the Farplane and walked back through the cave to my hoverglyph, content in what transpired. On the drive home, I decided I'd stop by Trista's place to check up on Areth. I had my comforting moment and it was time I gave something back. I got out of the hover and walked over to Trista's door, knocking gently. Nobody came to open the door, but I heard a voice inside and the door was unlocked, so I chose to go inside, knowing that Areth was probably in no mood to greet visitors. Through my travel into Trista's house, I saw the summoner's exaggerated extravagance. Every square inch of the house was covered in the strangest of art pieces. How very exotic of her.

Regardless of the discomfort many of the pieces afforded me, my goal was to comfort Areth so I went in the direction of his muffled voice. As I got closer, the voice became clearer and I started to make out what he was saying,

"Yes, all is going according to plans. Don't worry, father, I'll feed you more information as I receive it. Oh, you don't have to thank me for the airship. Trust me, I had a personal malice towards the pilot. Oh no, it's just that he was allies with… yes, _that_ blitzer. I know, but I must pursue this. Yes, father, I…"

I slammed the door open with venomous lunacy written across my face. How dare he flaunt about Damusa's death. "How could you… They killed your best friend and you still side with them?!" I roared at him, gaining his attention with the sound of an unsheathed sword.

He turned off his com, "Oh, but Tidus, or should I say… Shuyin… I'm the one that ordered Kai's execution."

I felt the animus in me boil to a fever pitch, "You had your own friend… executed? How could you… How could you do that to Kai?" I demanded of him, my voice becoming ragged as pernicious devices slowly took away my speech.

"He was a traitor. We'd come to Zanarkand together. He, however, actually wanted to _help_ you. I, on the other hand, came… to _destroy_ you…" He snickered, looking at me with that same putrid smirk I'd accepted before in hopes that he was one of us.

"Murderer…" I growled, moving towards him.

He stuck out his gunblade, but I quickly slashed at his hand, causing him to drop it.

"Murderer…" I repeated, advancing more forcefully, eyes burning with bloodlust.

He started backing up fearfully, like a snake without his fangs. I would never let him live after this. He'd caused too much damage already.

"Murderer…"


	28. Chapter 27

_ Chapter 27: Bitter Betrayal_

"_Murderer…_" I mouthed for a third time, my eyes growing blacker as rage overcame them minute after arduous minute.

Areth could detect this aura, as well, for he began to cower in my presence. I stared at him with the utmost disgust I'd ever encountered. Even when they'd killed Damusa, it was simply blind rage over his death. This time, I knew _exactly_ who to blame, who to make suffer the consequences.

"Uh… Shuyin… I'm only… kidding… Uh…" The snake tried offering, hoping against hope that I'd be fooled once more.

I sneered at him, "You've deceived me once and it cost me my friend. You tricked me and it cost me a good man. To think… just to _think_ that I'd fall for another of your lies… it infuriates me!"

I laughed a little to myself, "Here I thought… Why not give Areth a chance? He doesn't seem to be so bad. If Kai trusts him, why shouldn't I?"

Without a second's warning, I swiped my blade, putting a small gash across Areth's leg. He winced in pain and cowered even more, knowing that with what I had in mind for him, he'd be pleading to join those of the Farplane.

"Please, Shuyin… I… I was bound by family. M-my father is the head of Bevelle. H-how can I not help him? He's my father. I'm sure you would do the same for your family." He again appeased, begging for my forgiveness once more, begging for me to be stupid and fall for his tricks one last time.

I smirked at him, giving him the same discomforting smile he'd always given me, "My _father_? My _father_ was my most hated rival since I could remember. So, what family ties do you think I'd have with _him_?" I finished my statement by slashing a second time, putting a small gash across the traitor's waist.

"Enough talk… I'm done listening." I hissed and quickly sliced at his face, putting a clean cut into his features.

It stretched from his left temple to his right cheek, a mark befitting of the wretch. Areth screamed in pain, clutching the wound with his hands. I stared at the betrayer sadistically, raising my blade high.

"Shuyin! Please!" The snake pleaded, putting everything into this final plea. I cackled maniacally,

"The Farplane awaits!" And without a moment's hesitation, I swung my blade downward…

"Is anyone home?" I heard a voice call.

_Jurama!_

The slight distraction was enough for Areth. Quickly, he punched my gut, the spot where I'd been stabbed before. I winced in pain and bent, grabbing my wound with my empty hand. When I opened my eyes, I saw the snake run.

"Whoa?!…" I heard Ju shout, most likely because Areth had pushed past him to escape my grasp.

I forced myself to forget the afflictions and got up, running as fast as I could to the door where Ju was. "Ju! After him! He's responsible! He's a traitor!" I breathed angrily, "… HE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMUSA'S DEATH!"

I didn't need to say anything more. Ju, like I already was, grew furious. The both of us leaped into my hover and chased after Areth. He'd gotten into his own hover cruiser after knocking Ju down.

"I'll tear out his eyes!" Ju shrieked.

"Don't… don't give him the opportunity to miss out on all the _fun stuff_ we're gonna do to him." I jeered, my eyes wild with fury as I accelerated far past safe speeds.

The chase only lasted about an hour, our speeding bringing us all the way to the Thunder Plains. I eventually stopped Areth by using my hover's better engines to catch up and ram him in the rear. I'd said that cruisers weren't very safe. After hitting him from behind, the vehicle lost its stability and flipped, the front portion stabbing into the ground. The vermin was thrown from the hover, landing in a heap a few feet away. I had half a mind to run him over right there, but that was a _kindness_ I just couldn't allow.

"Oh… Areth? Won't you wake up and _play_? I've been meaning to have some real _fun_ with you." I hissed, moving over to him at an agonizingly slow pace.

I wanted him to feel each approaching second of death. Once we reached him, I stood there, an ominous figure striking fear into the soul of my enemy as thunder struck behind me. Ju approached soon after, kneeling his knee into the small of the traitor's back.

"What should we do with the lout? Should be remove each of his organs? Perhaps stab him with needles just to see how many we can fit onto his flesh? Whatever to decide." He whispered, arching closer to Areth's helpless form and putting more pressure on his knee.

"Well, let's just do a little damage first, huh? We'll see where that takes us." I offered with venomous words, hovering my sword over his ankle joint.

Suddenly, like guardians to this devil, Bevelle's men arose, coming right out from the soil. "So, you led us here you sly little insect. Well, we've got news for you Areth. Your men, they don't stand a chance." I exclaimed, stabbing the soldier that came up from behind me through the gut and pulling up to make the wound more excruciating.

Jurama and I started picking off the muddy soldiers one by one, my sword covered with even more blood by the minute, spared only by Ju's Ultimas taking out the others. When the last of Bevelle's forces fell, we looked around the field of death, scanning the corpses to realize that Areth wasn't amongst them.

"The rat ran away." Ju growled, casting a Fire spell on an already dead soldier to vent his frustration.

"He couldn't have gotten far. I'll never let him live after what I heard. He'll die slowly." I hissed, starting up my run again after noticing the backs of a few more of Bevelle's men steadily escaping.

We caught up since Areth was still weak from his crash. He motioned for the remaining soldiers to surround us so he could get away, but I thought quickly, "Ju, you go on ahead. Let me handle these guys. Besides, you deserve this a lot more than I do."

"Are you sure you can handle them? I've already lost Damu. I don't want to lose you, for Kirin's sake." He told me.

"I'll be fine. These wimps couldn't kill me if I had both my legs chopped off. Now GO!" I ordered, pushing him aside so I could fight the men myself.

I saw him run off as I fended off the soldiers from giving chase to halt his movement. "You boys get to deal with me. Leave Ju to Areth. I'm sure he's got a few _words_ to share with your boss." I sneered, stabbing one of them for starters.

The others quickly lunged, but I threw the body in front of me, letting them stab their own ally. Not wasting a second, I jumped on one, spinning to cut through another, flipped, and decapitated the first. Waving for them to continue their attack, I got into an attack stance and deflected one blade into another, putting one huge gash across both their chests as I made a roundabout. A third and fourth plunged their swords at me, but I merely leapt over them and one-eightied as I came down, slicing off both of their heads. The last of them looked at me with fear, doubtful in his willingness to attack.

"What's wrong? Didn't like how I took out your comrades? Why don't you see if you can make a better attempt." I challenged, waving for him to approach.

Instead, the coward fled, running as fast as he could to get away. Searching the blood-ridden grounds, I snatched a gunblade from a fallen foe and hurled it at the mouse as he scurried away, piercing his skull with the weapon. There were no more enemies around so I hurried my pace to catch up to Jurama, "Can't let Ju have all the fun, now can I?"

I ran for a while until I came to a clear patch of the Thunder Plains. "Ju? Where are you?" I called out, hoping to get a hint to where he'd chased Areth to.

Not hearing any reply, I continued to search, finally stopping when I saw the worst thing imaginable. "JU!" I screamed, running over to his fallen body lying facedown in the mud, "JU! WAKE UP!"

"You know… those that have departed for the Farplane tend to have problems hearing you." A sickening voice stated smoothly.

"_You_… Now you've taken him away, too?" I growled lowly.

"Yes, but be happy for one thing: He did manage to give me this." Areth said lightheartedly, pointing to a blinded left eye, "He was really quite admirable. To avenge his friend, he went so far as to cut out my eye with one of my own daggers. Look, he still holds it in his hand."

I felt my eyes twitch, the enmity in my heart rising far higher than anyone could take. I roared loudly to release my anger, rushing to the snake at a feral speed, ready to take his head off.

"I don't think so." I heard from the side, a voice known for its unpleasant squeal.

As I looked in my dash, Trista smiled back, sending a Flare spell at me. I was hit head-on, the power of the spell planting my body into the ground harshly. I gasped for breath as the air in my lungs was completely exhausted. Trista and Areth both sauntered over to my fallen form and Areth lifted his gunblade over my throat.

"Bastard…" I gasped, feeling my consciousness waning.

"No… I think I'll let you live. At least this way, you'll have to explain what happened to your friend. As I recall, he was Kirin's boyfriend. I think that should be especially painful for you." Areth snickered, spitting on my face before removing his blade from my throat.

I turned to Trista in desperation, "How could you side with Areth… against Zanarkand? As much as you hate me, do you really want to sacrifice our home just to get your revenge?" My weak gaze begged for an answer to her treachery.

"Revenge? Oh, you simple and egotistical fool." She replied, "I didn't betray Zanarkand just to get at you and that songbird of yours. I did it because Zanarkand is going to lose this war. I don't think I want to be on this side when that happens. I like living, thank you very much. Anyway, getting a shot at revenge on you and_ Lenne_, that was a bonus." Finishing, she kicked my head hard with her boot, sending me into the darkness.

When I came around, I knew those two were long gone. I'd been betrayed twice in one day, first by the man I'd given a second chance to, then by a woman I thought would still be a part of Zanarkand, no matter what disdain she bore for me and Lenne. It had been a set-up the entire time. Trista was with Areth for one reason: Areth was her ticket to survival when Zanarkand ultimately fell at the hands of Bevelle. Areth, likewise, found her to be the perfect trump card to use against Zanarkand. He could have his due with me and would allow Trista to quench her rivalry with Lenne. Areth had planned it from the start. He'd trick us about reforming, using Kai as his free pass into the fold because he knew I trusted him. Then, he fell in love with Trista who, luckily, had a vendetta against me, as well, through Lenne. Not knowing how to get her to like him, he'd tried everything until he remembered the first time he'd seen me and Trista conversing.

"_Look Trista, just be a little more courteous, will you? It's obvious that the poor man likes you. Why would he, I have absolutely no idea, but he does. At least, if you reject him, let him keep his dignity." I said, frustrated that Areth was letting himself be made into a fool. _

"_Oh great, it's the lamer with that songbird." She sneered, frowning upon seeing my approach. _

"_Trust me, the feeling's mutual, but I'm here to help a friend. This is Areth, just in case you weren't paying attention." I said, grabbing Areth by his collar and standing him up straight. _

"_Oh, whatever! By the way, you tell Lenne that I'm also a high summoner now. She's not too impressive." The bitch flaunted. _

_Not to let her pride get the better of me, or rather, of my own, "Oh, I am so amazed…" _

"_Ugh, you're so transfixed on your retarded friend, fine! Where is that bum from anyway? Some apartment in the outer rim?" She cackled._

Right from that one conversation he realized that she hated me, too, and that was the way to win her over. He had whispered that he came from Bevelle and could get her out of Zanarkand with him to safety and at the same time make us pay for whatever wrongs we'd done to her, information that I'm sure Trista would've been glad to tell him in detail. After that, the plan was set in stone. Areth would continue to scrape information off of us while having his woman by his side to see any holes in his act.

"I'll kill them both." I muttered to myself.

After a while of grunting, I slowly made my way over to Jurama's body. How would I tell Kirin? She'd just lost Damusa a little while before and nearly lost me during the same battle. How could I face her and tell her about this mess? She'd been through so much already.

I reached to Ju's still form and gave a gruff sigh, "What am I going to do?"

As I checked his mortal injuries, I noticed a letter under his hand, placed there purposely by none other than those two worms. I took the letter from Ju and read its message aloud, "Omega City… I'll be waiting…"

Omega City? That was the abandoned city that had originally been created because of the discovery of a gemstone vein. People rushed there bent on becoming rich, but eventually the gems were all uncovered and taken, leaving the place a barren island with nothing to keep residents interested. Slowly, people left for more stable places like Bevelle, Zanarkand, and even cities as far as Kilika for the older ones ready to move to a cozy retirement home. An abandoned city… a perfect burial grounds. It was probably why they'd chosen it. I crushed the letter in my hand, the blackness in my heart causing my hand to tremble.

Carefully, I lifted Jurama's body, walking back to my hover solemnly. I placed him into the vehicle gently, sorrow filling me without end.

"How am I going to explain this to Kirin? She's lost so much. She doesn't deserve this." Cursing my stupidity, I started the hover to head back home.

I condemned myself for the misery I was about to bring my friend, but it was far too late to make amends. _"Are you sure you can handle them? I've already lost Damu. I don't want to lose you, for Kirin's sake." _Ju had already thought of that potential outcome, but I was too blinded by my lust for vengeance to consider it.

I drove up to Kirin's house, taking my time so I could try to stall her anguish for as long as I could. It ended up taking three hours, but nevertheless I reached and the guilt boiled through my entire form.

"I'm so sorry Kirin…" I whispered to myself, taking one last look at Jurama before exiting the hover and taking his body to my closest friend.

Hesitantly, I knocked on the door, a part of me wishing she wouldn't be around to open it. A few seconds was all I was given and the door opened to reveal a cheerful Kirin. She popped out, ready to say "hi" in her usual energetic way, until she saw who I had in my trembling hands.

"JU!" She screamed, tears immediately pouring from her eyes and she pressed her body to his tightly.

I cringed with guilt as I heard her crying loudly, completely heartbroken at the loss of the black mage. I found myself incapable of looking her in the eye for the next few hours as she wept for her dead love. How could I have let this happen? I was the one who told Jurama to fight Areth on his own. His blood was on my hands. Furthermore, had Damusa not saved me, he wouldn't have been hit by that machina and he'd be alive, as well. And not only that, but if Kai hadn't befriended me, he wouldn't have been murdered by Areth, either. I was the sole person responsible for all the agony that had befallen my loved ones.

"It's my fault…" I stated lowly, still not looking Kirin in the eyes.

"What?" She asked in a gruff murmur, exasperated from crying so long, "Shuyin, as much as I hate that Ju's dead and that I couldn't have been with him when it happened, I don't blame you. In times like these… it's hard to know what to expect or how to prepare for things like this."

"You should blame me… I'm the one that told him to go after Areth by himself. It was my fault for not taking care of him. I'm so sorry…" I muttered, balling up my fists tightly.

Kirin put a fragile hand on my shoulder, "What do you mean? Areth did this?" I nodded, taking a deep breath to let the hurt sink in.

"But Ju could've handled just Areth." She quickly stated.

"I know he could've… if it was just Areth. Trista's a traitor, too." I breathed, tightening my fists even more as I closed my eyes.

Kirin gasped, most likely remembering what she'd said to the bitch after we all thought she changed. "Look, don't go after Trista. As disoriented as you are right now, you won't think straight and Trista will kill you, too. I'm not going to make any more mistakes. I lost Damusa, Jurama, and Kai because I didn't think about all those what ifs. I'm not going to repeat those stupid errors again. Please… let me handle Areth and Trista. I'll make sure they pay!" I told her adamantly.

"You expect me to just sit idly by while my lover's murderer is still out there?!" She screamed at me.

"No… I don't expect that at all. I'm just saying that I'm more trained to fight. Anger has a different effect on me; it actually makes me focus more because Takuma taught me how to use it to channel my energy. I can utilize my anger to my advantage, but if you go and fight Trista or Areth now, they'll use your hatred and anger against you. I know you too well, Kirin. You aren't that kind of person. If it comes down to it, you won't have it in you to just kill her outright. It'll be too easy to throw you off and catch your mistakes. Please, just do me this favor and I'll make sure to bring you Trista's body on a platter." I offered sternly, grief coursing through my entire form.

Kirin looked back at Ju's colorless face and nodded slowly, "I want you to cut out her heart and squish it. Give the rest of her to me."

I looked at her with much concern. I'd never heard so much bloodlust in her voice in my entire life. I'd crush Trista for doing this to Kirin, stripping my friend of her innocence, her naïve purity.

"Don't worry, you can count on it." I growled lowly, leaving her side to head for Omega City.

Tears streaming out of my eyes, I got back in my hover and sped for the port on the mainland harbor in D-North that would take me to Omega City. I reached the port, having nearly hit all the cars driving along Zanarkand's streets. With the tears blinding me, driving should've been the last thing on my mind. However, I had a score to settle and a promise to keep. I drove my hover onto the ferry and parked on the ground level. Exiting, I kicked the side of some crates in a flurry of exasperation. I kept at it until I heard the wood begin to splinter and threw my weight against it, sighing deeply. This had become ridiculous… Far too much damage, irreparable damage, had been done.

I made my way to the lounge area and rested while I waited for the trip to end. "What has you so butchered?" A stern voice called over to me, patting me on the shoulder. I looked over wearily and saw that it was my mentor, Takuma.

"Oh…" I murmured slothfully, the entire scenario having exhausted me, "Don't ask. I don't wanna tell."

"Oh, I see… Who died this time?" He asked me, being like his usual tactless self.

With a disgusted grunt, I gave him his answer, "Jurama. He was killed by Trista and Areth. It's all my fault."

"I see. Well, since you're obviously going to kill them, allow me to join you." He added plainly.

I couldn't understand how he didn't feel any sympathy for those killed and those left behind. "You know, there's a thing known as _compassion_." I hissed, though I no longer cared whether or not he listened to my words.

"You know, there's a thing known as warfare. You have to realize that, with a struggle like this going on, saving lives isn't about guarding the people you care about. It's about eliminating the threat! Your tactics have been wrong thus far. Focus on eliminating the harm itself, not defending people from them as they come and seeking vengeance once you've failed in that one instance out of twenty or thirty battles." Takuma instructed.

"So I should think about killing Areth and Trista and not protecting Kirin and Lenne? Well, that's what I'm doing now, isn't it?" I said in retort.

"You stubborn fool. The world weeps and you absorb its pain. When there's a problem, you always make it your own. When people hurt, you take their agony and add it to the strife you already have. You don't just feel the torture of your own life's problems, you feel the torment of all problems. Do you know how much damage you've done to yourself already? Understand something: Everyone is responsible for his or her own life. If you feel the need to be responsible for everyone, you'll only end up destroying yourself!" He scolded me, heartless as he was.

"I'm sorry, Takuma. I'm not as cold as you are. I actually have a heart. You're nothing but an unsent, and a ruthless warrior at that. What makes you an expert on emotion?" I rudely inquired of him.

He sighed and shook his head at me, "What makes me the expert? How about this then? I'm no expert. You're absolutely right. I'm only a cold-hearted unsent being, trained solely in the art of combat. What would I know?"

The rest of the way to Omega was spent in silence. I continued to grow angrier from piecing together what I'd learned on this one day, each idea leading only to more malice. Meanwhile Takuma, merely sat opposite me, cleaning off his sword. When we docked, I found that the two of us had been the only people on the ship.

"Looks like we're it… Who'd come to Omega City anyway?" I said, not really to anyone, though a part of me wanted Takuma to say something to me, even if it would be more callous statements. Slowly, I found my way to my hover, motioning for the warrior to take a seat with me.

We drove through the city's decrepit streets, not finding a single person in sight. Finally, I drove to an open patch of terrain, probably Omega City's Park Plaza, from the descriptions I'd heard. The two of them merely stood there, Areth motioning for me to make an advance. I leapt out of my hover and dashed towards them madly, insurmountable disgust fueling the charge.

"Shuyin! Have I taught you nothing?" Takuma scowled, sprinting to catch up to me.

I realized what my wild aggression had nearly done and stopped a few feet before the traitors, waiting for my back-up to reach me. "Sorry… I'm not myself." I whispered, recalling what I'd said to Kirin just before.

"Aw, poor Shuyin's all upset because I killed his friends? Well, don't worry. Soon, you'll be joining them. Truna, Vicre, forces of Bevelle come!" Areth exclaimed, commanding for his reinforcements to join him.

"So, you had to get your goons, eh?" I muttered, breathing deeply to help me focus on not running in recklessly and shearing off Areth's face.

The snake ignored my statement, "We shall efface this defiler and avenge our fallen comrade-in-arms, Granu!" He proceeded to wave over to the two he'd called by name, "Shuyin, you will pay for the murder of our teammate and ally."

I knew immediately who they were referring to. This, Granu, was the soldier I sliced in two the same day Damu was taken. He was the one who had inadvertently alerted me to Areth's atrocious schemes.

"Ah, the Bevelle Jowiles are all here, _ripe_ for the picking." I sneered, sending a smirk their way, "You should have stayed in Bevelle, jackass. Now, I'm gonna make sure you leave in a body bag."

"Now that we're all acquainted… the time for talk has passed so let us begin!" Takuma exclaimed, getting into his attack stance.

I followed suit, waving them on after, "Bring it…"

"Let's see if you can deal with my Aeons, now!" Trista cackled, summoning her Valefor.

The soldiers all started to open fire, but both Takuma and I deflected shot after shot and threw each bullet right back at them in a hail of maneuvers. Areth pulled a soldier in front of himself just to dodge the munitions headed for him, getting his own ally killed, _again_.

"Is that all that your friends mean to you, Areth? Shields? You've already used Kai as a shield against me, now you use this soldier?" I laughed, mocking the rat's cowardice.

Our shower of returned ammunition continued until each of the "flanking" squadrons fell. However, having been targeted a few times, Valefor was fueled up enough to release Energy Ray. It flew up into the air and began to collect the energy in its mouth.

"Let me deal with the Aeon." Takuma said calmly, walking in front of me, "You should focus your mind in the meantime. Keep yourself calm or all my lessons will have been wasted on you."

I watched as my teacher made a few hand seals and lifted his sword toward his face just as the beam hit. At first, it seemed like Takuma was finished, however, when the smoke cleared, it was Valefor who was evaporating into nothing. That was Reversal, one of Takuma's devastating overdrives.

Trista stomped on the ground in a fit, "How dare you!"

She summoned Ifrit next, still agitated that Takuma bested her Aeon so swiftly. "I've got this one!" I shouted, leaping up to the summoning emblem that would unleash the fire Aeon.

With a forward flip, I slammed my sword into its skull as soon as it appeared. With its head split down the center, it gave an awkward howl and exploded into nothing.

"You bastard…" Trista grumbled, the vein on her neck beating fiercer.

She hastily summoned Ixion after and Areth motioned for the Jowiles to start using their best techniques to send a few blaster spheres at us. Simply put, those two final traces of the Jowiles sucked. I dodged each of their tactics easily, all the shots slow to begin with and slower with the extra weight of the bombs.

"Is that the best you got?" I jeered, clapping arrogantly at their failure.

This riled them up and both Vicre and Truna each pulled out a rifleblade machina gun. I had learned a while back that it was the name of the weapons distributed to the standard units of Bevelle. It was similar to Areth's gunblade, but was more gun than blade. Areth and Kai's weapons were specially customized more for melee combat rather than to be used as firearms. Only cavalry squads ever carried them and that in itself was a rarity. In any event, those rifleblades were even more pathetic than Areth's gunblade. They started blazing madly, hoping that I wouldn't be doing the same to their bullets that I did to the other soldiers. I shook my head and deflected each round, sending them straight into the barrels of their rifleblades with my trained accuracy, causing them to recoil and backfire. Meanwhile, Takuma had lopped off all of Ixion's legs, rendering the horse useless. Unlike Lenne, Trista's Ixion was a simple unicorn and didn't have nearly as much versatility as Lenne's shaman.

Trista recalled it with a whine and brought out her Shiva.

"I'll let you have fun with this one." My mentor told me, moving to face-off against Areth's gang.

I positioned myself in front of the ice princess, recalling how my last fight against her had gone. She had almost given me the cold kiss of death the last time. This time, I'd waste her before she could attempt putting me into an eternal slumber. The Aeon came at me trying to freeze my collar with her hand again. However, I grew a lot faster since that time and ducked as she reached forward, swiping vertically with my sword and following it through by jumping in the air. The blade sliced through her right down the middle, as I'd done to their Granu, and she exploded into crystal shards that began to fade as pyreflies exuded from them.

"Kiss that, Trista!" I jeered, pointing my weapon at the witch. There was no length to Trista's frustration as she watched her fourth Aeon fall.

I knew what was coming next. The hag summoner would unleash my favorite Aeon, the one that had given me three large claw marks on my chest the last time. I started off by readying myself for the same quick attack, but when Bahamut appeared, it charged Impulse instead.

As with Lenne's Bahamut, this one had evolved. Its appearance was altered, dark bat-like wings and a four-horned skull compared to the griffin wings and hornless draconic head of my love's Bahamut.

Its Impulse resonated from its ribbed wingtips rather than its clawed fists in its earlier manifestation, spheres of dark magic swirling around the creature to further differentiate it from Lenne's. I remembered what that attack felt like and I didn't want to go another round in that inferno again. When Impulse was unleashed, I leaped into the air and onto Bahamut's back, just like I had done the last time. It tried diligently to scratch me off, recalling our previous match when I got on its back. Unfortunately for the dragon, I was far stronger than I was when I fought it last and so, keeping myself on the Aeon wasn't a problem at all anymore. I lifted my sword and pierced it through Bahamut's skull, the tip of my blade passing into its flesh and out through the throat. It roared pitifully, making one final move to be rid of me. I allowed it to shake me off, but to its success, I pulled on the sword, slicing through its neck as I was flung to the ground. With a gaping hole parting its jaws, the mighty dragon plunged a claw into the ground and dispersed into a sea of sorrow-filled pyreflies.

I turned and smirked at Trista, but she wasn't paying attention to me anymore. Instead, she seemed to have finished performing a sending. My eyes grew wide in horror as I turned to look at Takuma. He was on one knee, barraged by the Jowiles' bombs and fading fast, a stray pyrefly escaping his body with every passing second.

I dashed over to him and slapped a couple of spheres back toward the enemy, tending to my mentor. "It's too late…" Takuma muttered to me, breathing hoarsely, "I've been sent. Make sure to heed my words, Shuyin. The pain of the world is its own…"

And with that, he was gone, a cloud of pyreflies flying towards the Farplane.

I didn't know how I did it, but somehow, my soul was capable of housing all the aggravation, hatred, animosity, and rage I felt. First, they'd killed Damusa, then executed Kai, followed by a betrayal that ended Ju's life prematurely, and then sending my mentor to the Farplane. My eyes twitched, my body shook, and my hand tightened around my saber's handle. I could feel my mind waning, some other force within me taking the reigns since I was lost to my devices.

A black aura consumed me and all my thoughts contorted, becoming like that of my last onslaught, the joy of bloodlust. A hoofed footstep echoed nearby and I knew Minotaur had been summoned.

"Oh, Shuyin. If you stand still, I'll have Minotaur put you out of your misery right now." Trista cackled.

She would've kept it going, however, another piercing howl of laughter broke through the din of the battlefield. This vile display of mirth resounded across the city limits, freezing the hearts of its enemies in terror. I watched my actions unfold as if they were not my own, ramming straight through Trista's Aeon like it was made of paper. Minotaur shrieked at its injuries, collapsing into a pool of pyreflies.

"Summon something, you fool!" Areth commanded of his love.

To this, Trista frantically grasped her staff and released her Aeon of water, the menacing Hydra. Its many heads appeared fearsome to be sure, but even it cowered at the realization of its opponent's psychosis, shrouded in the purest of evil. I offered it a sickening grin, activating the Hit and Run ability on this lone target as I sped towards it, tearing into its flesh over and over without mercy. Its multiple heads screamed, light erupting from all the fatal wounds I'd inflicted it.

I leered back at the sniveling villains of Bevelle, "Anyone else?"

As if an answer to my challenge, a thunderbolt rained from the heavens, the Judgement Bolt of Ramuh. "I see…" I stabbed my blade into the ground, absorbing the electricity.

Ramuh thought it knew my motives and glided downward. Instead of firing the electrical surge into that Aeon, I feigned the Force Rain it thought I was capable of at that moment. Actually, the only thing holding in the voltage was the same thing that was controlling my actions, that dark entity my soul usually concealed. Instead, as Ramuh descended, I pushed the sword behind me, impaling a second Aeon stalking at my back.

"Diablos!" Trista screamed, watching in horror as the immense charge of Judgement Bolt rippled through the demon, ripping her summoned creature to pieces.

As a last ditch attempt, it cast its own overdrive of Pandemonium, trying to swallow me in the realm of shadows. However, with Ramuh fast approaching, it was a simple matter of parrying the elder sage right into the vortex and eliminating both in one fell swoop.

"No!!" Trista shrieked.

"Don't… You still have surprises yet." Areth cajoled. With a nod, Trista returned to her summoning stance.

At first, nothing happened. It was as if the summoning had failed. Slowly, an eerie voice began to reveal itself, calmly counting, "One… Two… Three… Four…"

It was the kind of calm that would rattle anyone's nerves, but whatever had possessed me, it wasn't human at all and it frightened me more than any creature ever could.

"Five… Six… Seven… Eight… Nine…" A bell tolled with origins unknown as I waited for the "ten" that would never come.

Suddenly, a crazed wail tore through the night sky, a ghostly and foul aura in its wake. It appeared, a phantom of a woman, dead by drowning given her gaunt facets. "Forsaken Ten, my Okiku!" Trista commanded.

As my body viewed the performance, the Aeon created nine swirling plates surrounded by a cloud of angst. As they spiraled, they merged into one, the tenth plate. This Aeon's fayth had read to many fairy tales. The feral entity in me stood his ground, smirking at the phantasm. Finally, Okiku released its Tenth Plate of the Forsaken Ten, the disk ready to crush my seemingly minuscule form. I prepared my own stance, concentrating on my weapon. As soon as the spinning dish was in range, I positioned the length of the saber against it, gathering all the force of the attack. Even I was amazed; the entire overdrive melted into the straight edge as if it was nothing.

"How did…" Trista gasped, likewise with my thoughts.

"Vicre! Truna! Quickly!" Areth ordered his comrades.

They began to charge at me, Okiku following closely behind to utilize her other techniques. I had more than I needed by then. Turning the point of my weapon to them, I unleashed another howl of sadistic glee and sent my Force Rain at the three, the full fury of my own energies combined with the Forsaken Ten obliterating all my pursuers.

With a huff, I felt my face contort into another twisted grin. "And then there were none…"

Suddenly, I felt a rush of air and the strange presence of cherry blossoms. When I shifted my gaze back toward my foes, Trista had summoned Yojimbo and an odd-looking dog. Tossing over some gil nonchalantly, she commanded the Aeon, "You know what to do."

The samurai unveiled that miniature sword thing that it'd used before. This Aeon had grown too cocky under Trista's marvelous tutelage. Its overconfidence would be its downfall.

"Wakizashi? Hmm, seems my Yojimbo's doesn't even think about you as a threat. How sad." I heard Trista jeer, having grown a bond with her summon as Lenne gained with Zaroth.

I flipped over the samurai and stabbed it from behind as it arrogantly swiped forward with that joke of a weapon. Without any hesitation, I pulled up, forcing my sword through Yojimbo's skull. "No! Yojimbo!" Its summoner yelped, actually demonstrating rare compassion for the Aeon.

I felt the samurai slump to its knees, waiting for death to claim it. However, that dog that was with it came to the aid of its master, literally licking away the wound. "Good Daigoro! Now, help him to his feet." The summoner directed.

"Daigoro…" Apparently this pseudo-Aeon had replaced the weapon I broke in our previous encounter… and made the perfect target for my next attack. "Here _doggie_!" I breathed, hooking the mutt with the tip of my edge, tossing it into the air violently and dissecting it. With one final whimper, it dissolved into nothingness, both segments fading back to their summoner.

Yojimbo grumbled angrily, having recovered from what should have been a fatal blow. It had seen my cruelty and, as such, brought forth Zanmato, the legendary daito, to obtain avenge its fallen pet. With an inertial twist, it struck, but it would be to no avail. In its crazed red rage, Yojimbo lost its focus and the attack became sloppy. I easily managed to sidestep the slice and made a twist of my own, taking off the Aeon's head as soon as it realized the severity of its mistake. Unremoved from my finishing posture, I felt the pyreflies escape from its corpse, the streams of particled light brushing past me to return to their creator. In a reverie of spite, I turned to face them smugly, the two original cohorts.

Areth looked from Trista to me and back again before hastily retreating, leaving his _love_ behind. She turned to his fading back and reached out wearily, knowing she'd been abandoned.

"Guess you've been chosen as the lamb to the slaughter, eh?" I laughed viciously, steadily approaching my prey, "But one does tend to wonder, why would the love of my life leave me to die? Why do you _think_?"

With tears in her eyes and loathing in her heart, she cast Ultima after Flare after Ultima on me, but I simply dodged them. Her accuracy had fallen greatly through her distress. It was something to be pitied, if I had the humanity to offer it to her. Sadly, the black aura still held me in its grasp and I was powerless to control what I was about to do…

Before she could cast another spell, I rushed in close and swung my sword down at the woman, slicing off her hands. She screamed out in pain and fell to her knees, her cries affording me nothing but glee as I shared another loud volley of vile laughter.

"You see, the answer lies in whom you fell in love with." I sadistically explained, moving my face closer to hers, "The treachery of those who betray knows no bounds, not even to love. I want you to enjoy the next few moments. I want you to think about how much you despise him right now. Your hatred for me and Lenne can't even compare, I'll bet… not anymore anyway. As much as I am enjoying your torment, I have a promise to keep. Oh, but I'll make sure I send your head to your boyfriend."

I finished my musings and plunged the saber deep into her chest. Slowly, I began to carve a large gash, prolonging the act for as long as I could. She wailed loudly, the sound pleasurable to my warped mind. Once the slit was large enough, I plucked my blade out roughly, allowing warm blood to gush out in a steady stream, spraying me all over.

"I was told to rip it out and squash it!" I snarled with a wicked smile, sinking my hand into her chest and grabbing at the still-beating red organ, wrenching it to me as I left the bloodied summoner to fall to the floor, awaiting her death.

I stared at it, the heart slowly coming to a halt in my grasp, warm blood oozing from it and dripping onto the ground. I dropped it and stomped on it, giving a sickening howl as I did and looking back at Trista's frail body, barely able to claim her last breaths.

"Still alive? Good… I wouldn't have wanted you to miss this." I told her, still smiling the way Areth normally did, "You know, the problem with loving a snake like Areth is, you never know where his true loyalties lie."

With that, I spun and slammed my blade hard on her neck, cleaving through as the head rolled away from the impact. Walking over, I picked it up by the hair, staring down Trista's closed eyes with a mocking grin. Spitting into her face, I lightly tossed it and batted it callously with my sword, sending it in the direction where Areth had scurried off.

A while passed and my mind began to return to me, the aggression having left my heart. Hesitantly , I picked up the body and carried it back to my hover. I drove to the port again and got onboard the ship, choosing not to leave my vehicle the entire trip. I was ashamed at what my madness had done. Even as the sole passenger on an automated transport, I couldn't bare to be seen. I was disgraced and tainted forever…

"I'm a monster…"

The ferry docked on the port and I drove toward Kirin's house. When I got there, I simply placed the body on her doorstep. I didn't bother to call for her when I did; I couldn't allow myself to. I didn't want to see the sweet and innocent Kirin I used to know transformed into that bloodthirsty murderer again. It was too much to have heard her horrid words earlier. I didn't have it in me to experience it again. Instead, I returned to my hover and sped home, a wave of sorrow passing through my mind.

Upon reaching my house, I went to throw out my stained clothing and stumbled into the shower, pressing my weight against the tiled walls for support. I took my time in there, letting the warm waters ease away my strife as much as it could. Zanarkand was losing this struggle. I was losing this struggle. Bevelle had shown its full power, reared its insidious head, and we'd suffer its price. My friends were perishing one by one and there wasn't a single course of action I could take to stop that from continuing. In less than a month, Lenne would go off to war and I'd be left behind to start off the preseason of blitzball as if nothing were out of place. When that happened, I knew I would lose her. I would lose my Lenne… Time was running out…


	29. Chapter 28

**_Chapter 28: The End of Zanarkand…_**

One month hadn't given me any progress at all and I had turned into a complete recluse. I spent my time either moping or letting out my frustration by pounding on a punching bag I had in my gym. All I could think about in each passing day was how I was going to destroy Areth. Every time I vented the strife burning away my heart, my mind thought only of that fearful face I'd seen when I confronted him back in Trista's house. I relished in the coward's shrunken form. He knew I was after him. For that month, I could think of nothing but reaping my revenge on the traitor for killing my friends one by one. It was an odd and terrifying experience. Trista had been the first of my victims to fall by my cruel vengeance. I'd never murdered someone in that manner before. This was an evil deed, despite what led me to it. All my earlier victims had been dealt with on the battlefield, in a kill or be killed situation, but her, I gave her no mercy. She was completely defenseless by the time I took her life. It wasn't to save my friends. I'd slaughtered Trista in the harshest of fashions and I knew it… and a part of me enjoyed it. Some part of me had grown ecstatic at watching her breathe her last breath. Some part of me relished in her torture, fueled those disgusting words my mouth had uttered.

Those cold blue eyes from my dreams came to haunt my thoughts once more. That dream had shown four fronts to the war: Areth, Zanarkand, Death, and Friendship. I was caught in the middle with each side waiting for a decision. Though I wanted to choose my friends, even my subconscious knew my true path. I would follow the road leading to Bevelle, to confront Areth one last time. That worm was still out there, probably scheming even worse things to come. Something had to be done and the object of execution would be that of the sharp edge of my blade.

Areth… he had done so much just to get even with me. Ever since that blitzball championship so many months ago, he'd been after me, seeking revenge for such a trivial loss. In a way, though, our goals were the same. After I found out he'd betrayed us all, I wanted to see his lifeless body, have his blood stain my sword for no more reason than selfish retribution for what he'd done to me, how he had hurt me. It was vengeance, vengeance that I tried to hide from the surface since the beginning. That dream I had had been trying to tell me what path I was about to lead and I was blind to it the whole time, discovering its message only when it was far too late to make amends. Unfortunately as it was, I'd reduced myself to this wretched creature and there was no turning back now. Through those instances of weakness, I'd succeeded in losing my aspirations to the monster lurking in the darkness.

That's when I realized that it had been a month. A month meant more than just a span of time. It meant that blitz season was starting and even though I was utterly crushed, I still had a city of fans that needed this bit of entertainment from the Abes to keep their minds off of the war that wouldn't relent. But a month also meant that I'd run out of time. A month meant that Lenne was going to the front. If I didn't think of something soon, there would never be another chance. Areth and my revenge would have to wait no matter how much that dark side of me begged. Lenne and Kirin were much more important. The blitz season would be my last chance to distract Kirin from her pain like she had done for me so many years back. As for Lenne, hopefully I'd be inspired by the time the starting game of the preseason was done. Otherwise, I would have truly failed at everything I had promised and lose even the tattered remains of my humanity.

I left my house early the day of the Abes/Psyches game. I needed to clear my mind and let myself live again. I'd confined myself in my "Den of Woes" for so long, sulking in all my losses that I'd nearly forgotten how to. I knew exactly what I needed to do to regain that sense of vibrance. I remember how I used to do it each time I felt overwhelmed by either my mother's death or dealing with people in my youth who humored themselves by labeling me a "bastard" child because of it. It was something that could easily give me some hope that I'd get through the problematic era of my life.

I could still hear that one drunkard's voice, taunting me with the prodding of others who were too afraid themselves. He was new around town, a traveler from Kilika from what I heard later. Or was it that he came from across the Calm Lands? Yes, memories from that night were something I wanted to forget. His slumped body haunted my being even after all these years. That loud snap, the cracking of his neck… my first kill. I tried a new strategy with this guy. He was new and a tourist so I tested out Kirin's suggestion. Unfortunately, he was really drunk and the constant insults got on my last nerve. Then… it happened. I was only fourteen at the time. My anger had been building for five years and that man wasn't helping the situation. With my ignoring his rants, he grew violent and eventually a punch came my way. Instinct kicked and I dodged the punch, but I was angry… I grabbed his arm and pulled him close. As he was dragged, my elbow jutted out and jabbed him right in the gut. Sadly, it wouldn't end there. I lifted him and went to throw him as I had done to all the rest. Throw a man into a few barstools, he'll never want to trouble you again. However, this time was different. This time, belts had a new chain accessory added to them as the style became, an accessory which he wore. That chain caught onto my glove and he fell short. My arm was wrenched by his tangled form and he landed on his chin with his body following after, crushing over his head. Blood pooled out of his mouth as his eyes rolled back into his head. I panicked; I'd never killed before. I rushed out into the night and ran straight _there_ and it was then that I saw the light… the promising light of a new day. That was when I pleaded for something to cleanse me of all the demons I faced within me.

Slowly, I walked to the pier and waited. Dawn and the sunrise that came with it always seemed to give me what I needed to deal with my problems, to deal with life's tests.

"Hi there…" A soft voice whispered.

I turned to see her, my beautiful songstress, my love. "Lenne!"

My eyes opened wide as I saw her. I thought she'd be on her way to Gagazet. She walked up next to me quietly and put a warm hand on my shoulder. It was then that I noticed I was a wreck. I hadn't even considered appearances since I killed Trista, but finally my eyes looked to see the bloodied outfit that I never changed, the same outfit I was wearing that day.

"What are you doing up so early?" Lenne asked, gazing up at me, her gentle hands pressed against my chest.

I hadn't noticed then because my thoughts were preoccupied, but she was up rather early herself. Something must have been on her mind, too. "I'm waiting for the sunrise. I used to do it a lot when I was still getting over my mom's death. It really helps lift your spirit." I told her.

"Can a sunrise do that much?" She asked, reiterating my question about her singing so many months ago.

I looked at her and smiled, remembering that past conversation, "Picture this… The city lights go out one by one. The stars fade. Then, the horizon glows, almost like it's on fire; first in the sea, then it spreads to the sky, then to the whole city. It gets brighter and brighter until everything glows. It's really pretty."

Lenne smiled warmly, moving closer toward me and looking into my eyes, "It must be…"

I smiled back at her and pulled her into an embrace, knowing that soon, she'd be on her way to an imminent demise.

The sun rose and we watched it together, sitting on the pier, leaning against one another in Zanarkand's twilight. I never wanted the moment to end, but I knew that it would have to. I couldn't be selfish. I couldn't force Lenne to stay. In my heart, I knew she was doing the right thing by going. If anything, the summoners could hold off Bevelle's machina for as long as they could. It was better than hiding, better than being a coward. I always wanted to protect my friends and keep them from harm. It would be wrong of me not to understand that Lenne wanted that, too.

"So when are you going to the front?" I asked when the sun shone brightly, bringing forth the morning.

"Tonight… Yu Yevon said that the summoners had to show exactly a month from that day, remember? I got that message in the evening." She said, her voice quivering, probably from fear.

I pulled her close to ease her stress and she hugged me tightly, further stressing my need to end this war, "I'll find a way, Lenne. I'll keep you safe no matter what. I won't let you die."

We spent a few more minutes silently and then departed, in all likelihood, never to see each other again.

I still didn't want to face any of my friends, especially Kirin, so I spent the day like I had the month, beating my punching bag to a pulp and beating myself up over having no plan of action even in our final hours.

"_The pain of the world is its own…" _

Takuma was right about one thing, though. I was thinking too much about the people of Zanarkand, about everybody else but myself. Then again, that's what being a human being is about. He was an unsent; what could he possibly feel for the living? Even if he was right and I shouldn't take in everybody's problems like they were mine, how could I not? Bevelle was all our problem and that meant I was doing the right thing, wasn't I? I just couldn't shake that one thing he had said to me:

"The world weeps and you try to absorb its pain."

Life is difficult enough as is without callous opinions like that. We're weak as individuals so to make life a little easier, what choice did I have? I knew how badly it hurt when my mother died. Did I want to just let other people feel the same hurt that I did? Wouldn't the right thing, the human thing, be to put an end to suffering? If I failed to protect my friends from being harmed, wasn't it right to share the burden, to feel the guilt of failure? Kirin had helped me deal with my loss and I repaid her by costing both Damusa and Jurama's lives. It was my fault that they'd been killed and who really suffers for it if not Kirin. Her life was better off without an imbecile like me, but she chose to believe in me anyway. I couldn't let her suffer any more.

The day passed pretty quickly and I still hadn't thought of a solution to end all of the casualties, to put an end to the misery. I went on my way to the blitz stadium to get through with the game, trying to be as happy as I could be. It was all I could do to keep the spirits of Zanarkand high. I had failed Kirin; the least I could do was help everyone else.

"Can you sign this?" A kid asked me while I made my way to a crowd of cheerful fans.

Nodding, I took the blitz ball and pen and signed "my" name. Another kid came up right after, followed by a third. When I was done autographing for them, two girls came up to me, each holding blitz balls near their face while desperately holding in their excitement at being so close to the Blitz Ace.

"Can I have your autograph?" One of the girls squealed, her voice coming out awkwardly.

No doubt she was holding back a scream. I'd received plenty of screams and squeals and even a few fainting incidents from fangirls throughout my career and all I can say is, I'm grateful to have met Lenne.

"Sure." I replied smoothly, taking the ball and spinning it on my finger to make them both wow. It had become second nature for me to do a little flirting in front of girls to meet their expectations and to keep up the Tidus appearance.

I signed the balls and proceeded with my act, "If I score tonight, I'll do this." I held out my hands pointing upward with my index fingers and curling my thumbs.

"This'll mean it was for you." I explained with a classic smile.

Both of the girls giggled and did that hiding their face with a blitz ball thing again. I didn't know how I could flirt so easily when my heart was still highly flustered about the songstress whose life was in jeopardy, but I just did. I asked them where their seats were and remembered what part of the stadium that was in before nodding and trying to move on.

"One, two, three… TEACH US HOW TO BLITZ!" The kids shouted in sync.

"Um, tonight? Well…" I started to say, not really in the mood to play with kids since I felt so sour.

"Please!" They all chanted together, looking at me with those innocent eyes that I just couldn't refuse.

I still didn't want to think about doing anything that night after the game so I decided to make a compromise, "I can't tonight, but how about tomorrow?"

All three of them cheered and performed a little bow thing that had become the blitzball sign for victory. In my opinion, that was the dumbest looking victory gesture ever, but I wasn't the one that had to do it. It seemed to be cool to them and that's what was important. I walked away from the crowd moments later, but made sure to turn back and say a, "Cheer for me!" before I continued to the stadium to see my friends for the first time since Trista and Areth betrayed us.

When I got to the locker room, the first person I saw was Kirin. I didn't know how to approach her so I just stood against a wall looking like an idiot. Obviously, she noticed so I walked over when she waved.

"How've you been? I haven't seen you in so long! You didn't answer your door. Is everything alright?" She asked, almost as if nothing had happened.

"Kirin… How are you? Did you… find the… I mean… I can't even say it…" I mumbled, memories of events a month prior still haunting my mind.

"You mean Trista's corpse? Yea, I saw that you brought it to me." She replied, knowing exactly what I was talking about.

"What'd you end up doing with it?" I asked lowly, not really wanting to know.

She smiled a little, "You should know… I'm just not that kind of person… I just got her to the cemetery. You sure made a mess of her, though."

Relief hit my heart as I realized the Kirin I knew wasn't lost. I quickly hugged her close, mentally giving thanks to whatever kept Kirin from turning into a vengeful monster.

"Alright, you don't have to choke me!" Kirin shouted, bringing me back to reality.

I released her, looking into her eyes and finding that sweet innocent girl I once knew still intact. "Now, are you alright? You've been so worried you lost me that you made yourself a hermit." She joked, patting my still stained clothes.

I was just glad that none of the fans had noticed the dried blood all over my clothing. That wouldn't have made for a very uplifting star blitzer. My guess was that the streetlights weren't bright enough for them to notice the difference between a shadow and a blood smear.

"We have got to get you out of those threads. You can't be seen playing blitzball in that. What would Zanarkand think?" She scolded, looking over the horrendously filthy outfit I was wearing and had been wearing for the past few weeks.

"Well, the only other outfit I have here is that strange one… You remember, the one Kion bought me?" I hinted, recalling the deformity of that bit of clothing.

Kirin smiled a little and giggled somewhat, "Well, you're going to make Kion very happy today. I'm not letting you out of this locker room until you put that other stuff on and… burn this."

I made a face but nodded and walked into the changing room to get on the other outfit. The reason I disliked it so much was because symmetry was a little important to me. The outfit Kion bought me had a regular length shorts leg and one that was so short, it showed part of my boxers. Something was wrong with whoever designed those pants. Not only that, the shirt's arm had a normal length T-shirt sleeve and then this long armored red thing that was severely out of place. Not to mention, the shirt only went down far enough to reach the middle of my chest. Then, there was the glove that went on my left hand. Not only was it bulky, it was hard to move my fingers because the material was so stiff. Also, there was some kind of bracelet attached to it that really made no sense. I had no idea what Kion saw in that get up, but it was mine and Kirin wouldn't let me get away with stuffing it back in my locker. With a sigh and a whine, I put it on and left the locker room.

"Ah, much better." Kirin stated when she saw me.

I felt ridiculous with all the unevenness of my clothes, "Kirin, I think the blood stains are making a fashion statement. I'll go back in and change again!"

Kirin ran over to me and halted me from making a run back into the locker room, "Nah, you look great. A little lop-sided, but great!"

"Hey, there's my bro. How ya doin', T? Ain't seen ya since ya ran outta Lennie's place. What happened between you two?" Rothel exclaimed, making his way to us.

"A lot, believe me. It isn't the time to talk about it. I'll tell you after the game, okay?" I said, thinking back on Lenne and how she was probably at Mt. Gagazet awaiting orders as we spoke, safe from all the harm she was forced to face so that we could just sit here and…

"Whoa! Like, you're so wearing that gear I got you. How's the feel man, how's the feel?" The completely stoned voice of Kion shouted from behind me, stopping my angered thoughts.

The Abes goalie and his girl friend made their way over to our little group hand-in-hand.

"Hi Kion. What's he on this time?" I queried Vena after returning Kion's greeting.

The Abes' defensive player only laughed, "You know, for once, Kion's on nothing but a good mood."

"Yea, nothin' like a good victory in waiting to get the blood pumpin', am I right?" He added, high as ever.

"Yea, I can't wait 'til we whoop some Al Bhed ass. I don't care if they got good. I don't care 'bout Naru. I don't care 'bout Tappa. We gonna own 'em just like we own everybody else. Reignin' champs, none better, all challengers welcome, ya know?" Rothel followed up, pumping the rest of us up for yet another win.

"Of course! We'll beat them, no problem!" Kirin chimed in. It was yet another half-hearted statement to lighten the mood and let us all focus on the game and entertaining our people instead of what was really on our minds.

"This game's in the bag." Vena hollered, joining in.

I shook my head and smiled at each of them. What a team… "Let's get in there and win us a blitz game."

We fived one another and proceeded to meet the Psyches, the others heading out before me.

Just then, Haru finally showed up. "Haru, there you are. C'mon, the game's about to start. Can't get cold feet now." I happily chanted, putting an arm around the former rookie's shoulder.

Together, the Zanarkand Abes walked out into the arena to greet the fans and give them a show.

We entered in the same way we'd done before, the Zanarkand fans still as loud as ever. "What's our goal?" I asked again, following the old tradition.

"Victory!" Everybody yelled, pumping crazed zeal into the air.

The guys took their spots along the rim of the arena and we waited for the Sphere Pool to form. The waves of electricity focused into one small dot in the center and exploded, wowing the crowd as it had always managed to do, even after so many years. I looked into the water, my heart half lingering on the war.

"Soon Lenne… I'll figure something out soon. Just keep fighting and stay with me. It'll all be behind us one day." I thought to myself, praying into the pristine waters.

A warm hand placed itself on my shoulder as Kirin gave me a smile before moving into the pool.

"Thank you, Kirin, for all your innocence that you graciously shared…" I silently whispered, entering the Sphere Pool to join my friends.

I swam to my place opposite Tappa and looked him eye to eye. He smiled at me with both respect and arrogance as most of the competition usually did. He wanted to be better than me. He thought he was better than me. However, he knew to show his rivals their due. That had been what really bothered me about Areth's smile. He didn't have the show of respect we were supposed to have for each other. He just saw me as an insect he needed to crush. Why did I ever think otherwise? Why did I have to be foolish and give that snake a chance?

The blitz ball was sent up through the water as both of us swam to grab it. This time, Tappa tried to pull in right under the ball, swiveling around me whenever I tried to knock him away. If I had to credit him on any part of his skill, it'd have to be speed. Fortunately, even with his agility on par with my own, I knew a few tricks from years of being a blitzer and years of being Jecht's son. I faked the former army Joe and rammed my shoulder into him so I could get under the ball myself. I grabbed it before Tappa could reach and he had to get on the defensive quickly while I gave my maneuverings a shot, spiraling around him to keep the ball. His speed was incredible. After only ten seconds of trying my hardest to get away from him, I had no choice but to pass the ball. Haru caught the pass just fine, but he was tackled in an instant. Their left forward got the drop on him as soon as he had the ball. The Al Bhed weren't letting up. They really wanted to be the special team, the one and only team that gave the Abes and their ace their first ever loss. The ball traded off between players over and over, each catch followed by a tackle. Finally though, I intercepted a pass and tried my best to make a break for the goal. Unfortunately, just as I was about to go on the offensive, an elbow knocked me right back into Tappa's awaiting arms. He grabbed me and I struggled to get him off, but it was no use. Tappa was hanging onto me for everything it was worth. Once again, I had no choice but to let go of the ball. This time on the other hand, I sent it downward in an attempt to distract Tappa and get him to chase after the ball. To my luck, he loosed his grip on me and started to swim after the prize, allowing me to get the drop on him. I corkscrewed my feet at him when he went under me for the ball and then I headed for the goal. Naru had the ball in her possession, but when she went for a pass, she took too long. Rothel knew what I was doing and within a few moments had secured the ball from Naru's pass, readying a pass of his own. There were two guys trying to block me, Tappa fast approaching. I swerved and faked, awkwardly getting past them as I ran into a third defense. He was trying to get enough space to form a coverage area around me so every advancement I'd make, he'd make a retreat. Simply said, I backed him up to the edge of the Sphere Pool without him knowing and socked him in the chest with my right elbow, sending him straight into the bleachers. With one man down, three trying to catch up, and Naru nowhere near me, their goal had been left wide open. Rothel passed me the ball, but Tappa was quickly gaining while the pass continued on its trajectory. Naru was guarding Vena, Haru was almost nowhere in sight, and Rothel was a fairly good distance from the goal, leaving my options quite limited. If I went for the shot, Tappa's speed might be capable of blocking. If I didn't go for it, he would catch up to me and we'd just repeat the same process all over.

"Pass it here, T!" Kirin alerted from above.

She was completely open with not a single Psyche within coverage range so I hurled it straight up at her and went off to run interference on Tappa. Quickly, she pushed her legs in toward her chest and when the ball was in position, she spring-boarded it directly into the goal. I swam up to a cheering Kirin and gave her a high-five as Kion and Vena exchanged one, as well.

"So, we're going for our signature moves already, I see." I implored, teasing.

"Meh, those Psyches think they're tough, well we'll show them one for!" She exclaimed, patting me on the chest before swimming off. With a smile, I went back to my placement.

The ball went up again and Tappa got to it before I could, passing it quickly to Naru before I could take it from him. Haru and Kirin swam for her and cornered her while I continued to guard Tappa. Vena was being chased by another Psyche but Kion moved in and blocked her, allowing Vena to move in behind Naru and snatch the ball while she was too busy fending off the other two. The Psyche that Kion was guarding managed to lose him and went after Vena again so she chucked the ball to Rothel who signaled for me to go for a Jecht Shot. He motioned for Kirin to go after Naru and Kion to help Vena while I moved to the center of the Sphere Pool, waiting for the pass. Tappa saw what was coming and swam after Rothel to stop him from making the pass, while Haru looked on from near the bottom of the pool, wisely stationed as a back-up plan in case my Jecht Shot didn't work its magic. It was then that my opponent realized his mistake. Instead of passing me the ball directly, Rothel hurled it up and I darted for the surface.

I broke through the water and positioned myself near the ball, starting a backflip with a sly smirk on my face. Little did I know it would be the last time I'd ever have that genuine smile again. As I started to plummet, my body almost upside down, I noticed projectiles, about five of them, heading straight for the Blitz Stadium. My eyes went wide as the missiles tore through the night air, several explosions following behind them, building after building toppling in the distance. Before I could even warn the rest, the missiles hit and I was blown upward from the massive burst of energy released by the destruction of the Sphere Pool's power generator. Every bit of the building was engulfed in flame as I felt myself thrown around in the air. At last, I was pushed toward a ledge and grabbed onto it with everything I had. The tremors from the collapsing building made clinging onto the ledge difficult, but I tried my best and managed to get both hands on it. Pieces of the walls kept falling toward the ground and the ledge I was holding became ever increasingly unstable. With a sharp jolt, I lost my grip and fell toward the rubble screaming.

When the shock in my body ceased, I pushed myself off the ground and tried to stand, the entire area whirling around me. I closed my eyes and put a hand to my forehead to drown out the panicked and fearful screaming and stop the dizziness in my head. A few seconds passed and I slowly regained my focus, looking all around me and surveying the destruction.

"KIRIN!!!" I screamed, "Rothel!! Kion, Vena!!!"

I searched frantically for them, hoping that they were okay. A lifeless Al Bhed body, pinned by a steel pipe to some rubble didn't help to ease my nerves. I struggled with some of the debris, climbing over some and prying a few bits away to get through a wrecked hall. I'd been thrown all the way near the entrance of the stadium and I'd seen many people escape so the arena might not have been hit as hard as I believed. I moved through the bleachers, most of the seats ripped out by the force of the explosions.

"Rothel?! C'mon, if you guys are up, say something!" I shouted again.

Awkwardly, I climbed and maneuvered around huge chunks of wall until I got near the slightly flooded balcony. There was something wrong, something besides the wreckage and ruin. I looked at the water and made out a little stream of red moving toward my feet.

The steady progression of the blood unsettled me further and I feared the worst, "Kirin?!! C'mon, this isn't the time to joke! This isn't funny!"

Slowly, I moved through the water as the red started getting thicker and darker. Soon, I began to see the origin of my crimson path, a large pool of it coming from the lockers. As I approached the ramp to the locker room area, I found Rothel lying sprawled on the floor, blood spewing out of the back of his head as his blank eyes stared at the sky.

"ROTHEL!!!" I ran over to him and knelt down, lifting him up a little and seeing a jagged piece of the banister underneath, stained in a thick coat of crimson.

Carefully, I put him down next to the slab of debris and shook him gently, "Wake up. Rothel, I know you can hear me… I said WAKE UP!!"

I shook harder and shouted louder, but Rothel's body remained limp and his face started looking paler while more blood dripped into the water and onto me. "ROTHEL, I SAID GET UP!!! I'm not taking no for an answer!!!" I screamed, punching him in the chest.

I felt my arms shake, but I didn't care. I punched Rothel in the chest again and again, ignoring the reality, "You can't die! Do you understand me?!! I said you are not dying!!! What about Larea? You're supposed to get married! You can't die!" I punched him again, tears flooding my eyes.

I blinked them away and hit him again, grabbing him by the collar and lifting him up roughly. The action snapped his neck back and closed his eyes. "NO! Don't you dare close your eyes on me! WAKE UP!!!!" I screamed one last time before I collapsed into the water on top of him, the anguish at losing my best friend finally sinking in.

"Please… please wake up…"

"Kirin!" I gasped, lifting my head off Rothel's chest. I had to find her despite how much I wanted to give up.

Even if Rothel was lost, there were still other people that needed me to keep going. I pushed myself back to my feet and looked at my best friend's body one last time, "I'll get Bevelle for this. Don't worry Rothel… They'll pay the consequences, but right now, I have to find Kirin and the others."

I looked around the rest of the balcony and found nothing but rubble so I climbed to the bottom of the wreck and continued my search from there.

"Kirin? Vena, Kion! Where are you?"

I walked slowly around the bottom of the stadium, calling out to my friends every now and then, though the images of Rothel's body wore hope thin. Could I honestly expect them to be alive when even the solid foundation of the stadium didn't survive?

Suddenly, I tripped over something and landed on some rocks. Wincing, I turned back to see what had caught my foot and saw a hand. I looked over just a little to the left and saw another one, both leading to a huge boulder, blood spilling from the bottom into the water. I looked closer at the hands and realized that one had a ring on the fourth finger…

"Vena's engagement ring."

The other hand was dully tanned just like Kion's… I shook my head slightly in disbelief. They'd both been crushed under that stupid rock. In anger, I kicked the rock; a pointless move, but nothing could have told me that then.

"So, you two are gone, also…" I muttered, touching the hands gently to say my goodbyes.

I quickly got up and searched for Kirin. Take away anybody and everybody else, but Kirin's been through enough. She lost Damusa and Jurama only a month back; she shouldn't have to die like this. I roamed around the area, tripping over rocks and stumbling around carelessly, shouting out for her every once in a while. I didn't want to give up on the small chance that Kirin was just knocked out, but I knew the only real reason I wasn't killed in that blast was because I was several feet above it. I admitted to myself that the "crowd" I saw escaping from the stadium was really just a few people, maybe a dozen if I was lucky. A dozen… out of at least two million present in a stadium that could have easily seated another million if need be. The chances Kirin had survived were slim to none. I walked on and shouted her name one more time, before stepping into a shallow pool of water, the lowest point of the arena. I looked down and didn't want to see what was in front of my eyes. Lying a few feet ahead of me, surrounded in a sea of crimson, was Kirin's body… what was left of it. From what I could see, the lower half of her body was torn off at the waist and thrown elsewhere. When I got closer, I saw that she was also missing her left arm, the scorch marks showing that it was probably taken off in the explosion. As if that wasn't bad enough, half of her face was shorn off, leaving her frail and broken form a crude and brutal display of war's treachery. Tears streamed down my face as I stood there, my legs trembling. I felt cold on the inside and numb in my heart.

They'd taken it away… Bevelle had taken everyone I cared about away from me… "Kir… in…" I muttered, my voice raspy and weak, "What has Bevelle done to you…"

I walked over to her slowly and knelt beside her, brushing a few strands of hair away. "You'll be okay, Kirin… Everything'll be fine… You're going to be with Ju and Damu and see a huge field of flowers…" I whispered, choking back more tears as I struggled with the chaos in my mind.

Kirin was dead. I felt my body tremble, a mix of hate and despair boiling within my soul, "AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

I screamed to the night sky above, trying desperately to force the pain out. It was all I could do to keep from losing control. Still I trembled, lost in an abyss of discord. My strength gave out and I felt my body cower, pressing its forehead up against Kirin's.

"Get some rest now… I'll take you to where you wanted to go… Remember? When we were kids… you told me that you wanted to see all of Zanarkand when you leave for the Farplane…" I whispered to her closed eyes, an act done to hold back the madness growing within, "Bevelle's taken everything from me… Bevelle's taken you away… There's nothing left for me…"

I strained to speak those words as my voice cracked and I weakly hugged Kirin's lifeless body, clinging in desperation to the simpler world that no longer existed.

"Wait… there's still hope… I can't save you… But, Lenne's still out there. I lost you, but maybe I can still save her… I'll be back, Kirin. I promise I'll be back. I'll take you to where you can see all of Zanarkand, but first I need to try and save Lenne. Please forgive me…" I uttered hoarsely, kissing her on the forehead before standing up and running as fast as I could back out of the Blitz Stadium.

I ran through the street, seeing machina everywhere. I didn't care. Lenne was my goal and machina meant she'd be near. She was sent to the front to defend Zanarkand from them as futile as it was. I ran along the road, disregarding the terrified screams from my fellow citizens. I reached an area where one of those machina had embedded itself into a nearby building. It opened up spores and fired them at the road, the projectiles transforming into smaller machina… machina that were blocking my path…

"Get… out… of my way…" I growled, unsheathing my sword.

Of course, these were nothing but automatons and only knew to attack, but I could care less about that. "Get OUT OF MY WAY!!!" I screamed, rushing to the closest one and slicing it in two.

The others tried to attack me, but I cut through the ones blocking my path and kept running. I had no time to seek revenge for my friends' deaths on these mechanoids. I had yet another loved one I needed to save and I wasn't about to put that hope in jeopardy. The machina shot more pods at me, this time surrounding me on all sides.

"You do NOT want to test me right now…"

I ran through the ones in front of me and spun in the air, putting large gashes into the machina and continuing to run, dashing past the exploding bodies.

Suddenly, a missile hit the road on my right side and I was thrown toward the edge. Telling myself that Lenne was still out there somewhere, I forced myself, tired as I was, to get up and keep going. After another few minutes, another explosion from behind me thrust me forward, landing me in a heap. I was battered and exhausted, but that didn't matter. I had to keep going. Lenne needed me to pick myself back up and find her. Using my sword to pull myself back to my feet, I took a moment to regain my composure before moving on. Finally, I got to a wrecked section of the road and saw machina just beyond. They spotted me and fired, but I made a quick leap and got safely over the flames. The road was destroyed, but I managed to get across to the other side just fine.

Seeing a few soldiers, flaunting their advantage over me, I glared, "Where is she? Tell me…" I advanced on them hastily, sword held firmly in hand and a mad expression on my face, eyes faded to the darkest blue and bloodshot from tears shed earlier.

The soldiers looked at me with fear looming behind their cowardice and started to back away, but I wouldn't let them retreat, not after what they'd done.

"Tell me where the summoner is!" I hissed, steadily approaching and carving my mark into whoever I reached.

They started to run and I gave chase, hatred carrying me onward. I tore through them with ease and headed for the machina, taking apart the legs to make them fall. When all the enemy forces were taken down, I searched around for the summoners.

"Lenne?" I called out, "Lenne, are you here?"

I looked everywhere in the vicinity, but there wasn't a single summoner in sight. Bevelle must have made a surprise attack on us behind our sole remaining line of defense. They had so many machina, they could afford an attack on the front in the Calm Lands and this side attack, striking Zanarkand directly. We were wrong about Bevelle. They had played us for fools just like they wanted and Zanarkand was blind to their deceptions. Their machinations were impossible and there were too many of them to take on.

"Machina will be the death of us all." I groaned, falling on the ground to catch my breath.

Wait! That was the solution to Zanarkand's problems: Machina! Bevelle had such a surplus, why didn't I just think of borrowing one to use for our side? I could break into Bevelle and find their biggest, their strongest machina to blow holes all over the city's infrastructure. Why didn't I think of it sooner? If only that idea had come into my mind a month ago, all of my friends would still be alive. In anger, I punched the ground, cursing my idiocy. All of their lives would have been spared had I not been so stupid.

Of course… I would be mincemeat if I just went in alone. I could get the job done, but it would cost me my life. I'd need help. Zanarkand's safety wasn't only my concern; there was still another person who was responsible with Zanarkand's fate. I got back to my feet and ran to a place I hadn't been to in a very long while… the origin of all summoners… Yu Yevon… He alone had the power to return our summoners to the safety of home. He alone could help me in my plan. And most importantly, he was my last chance.

I found my way back to the capitol building of Zanarkand. I pounded roughly on the door, my strength waning from all I'd been through in that one night.

"Yes? Oh my!" Yu Yevon said when he opened the door, gawking at my disheveled state.

My clothes were charred and covered in dirt and I stood awkwardly, my legs barely able to hold me up.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"Never mind who I am. I came here because I think I know how we can stop Bevelle once and for all." I proclaimed stressfully, gasping for breath in between words.

"Oh? Well by all means, do tell." He urged, his words voiced in a strange manner, almost like he didn't want Bevelle to stop attacking.

That couldn't be helped at the moment. I couldn't allow any more distractions. With as much enthusiasm as my weary form could muster, I explained my idea to him, "Machina… Bevelle's got so many machina, why don't we just go in there and take one for ourselves? I can find the best one, but I'll need your help to get back out. You know spells that could protect me while I operate the machina and then you can get me out with some levitation thing or something. If we work together, we can overcome Bevelle's attack and rid Zanarkand of the threat once and for all."

"Do not be foolish. You will never make in alive, let alone hope to steal their powerful beasts of destruction. What makes you so confident in your abilities? You are no summoner." He returned with the traditional pride that only exasperated the situation further.

"Look, I know I can make it in and I know I can get the job done. All I need is an escape route. If you won't help me, I'll just go to Bevelle myself and take them down with me." I growled, showing my vexations in my tone of voice.

Time was running out and so was my patience. If our leader wouldn't aid me, I'd just have to take things into my own hands and defeat Bevelle alone.

Yu Yevon approached me and put a hand on my shoulder, "I cannot allow you to destroy Bevelle."

With that said, I felt my body weaken and my vision blur. The world went dark and I collapsed on the ground in front of Yu Yevon's feet…

When I awoke, I was lying in water. "Huh? Where am I?" I thought aloud, getting to my feet with a start.

The first thing I noticed were the iron bars in front of me and surrounding me on all sides. "Hey!" I shouted, grabbing the bars and trying to pull them apart.

This was a nightmare. It had to be. This stage had been the setting of my first dream, the POW cell. _Lenne!_ I had to get out of here. Part of my dream had turned into reality. I wasn't about to let the rest of it come to pass.

I noticed a few officers near me and called out to them, "What do I get arrested for?! Let me go already!"

They kept talking amongst themselves, occasionally glancing at me like I wasn't even there. "You hear me don't you? What would you have done if she was your girl?! Who cares if I use the enemy's machina? It was the only way to save the summoner! What would YOU have done instead?! Let me out of here!! LET ME SEE HER!!!" I screamed desperately and furiously, knowing all too well that she could have been out on the Calm Lands at that very second, hopelessly overwhelmed by our enemy.

I shook the bars and hit them over and over again in frustration, horrific images of all the ways I could find Lenne maddening me further. Kirin was destroyed by their treachery and to think of finding Lenne like that, it would drive me insane with rage. What was worse, there wasn't anything else I could do. If I couldn't get out of the cell, there was no way the summoners could survive for long. It took me about ten minutes to figure out that my efforts were in vain. All I really accomplished was giving the guards a show. Zanarkand's top blitzer losing it in a jail cell, who'd have thought. I slumped back in the cell and began to think about how things could have gotten this far. Kirin and Rothel and Kion and Vena and Damusa and Jurama and who knows how many more of my fellow citizens paid the price for what I failed to realize. It was all my fault they died. If I'd figured out that Areth was after me from the start, he'd never have the opportunity to report our weaknesses to the enemy. If I didn't give him the benefit of the doubt, I could have saved every single one of my friends and even more perhaps. Not only that… if only I hadn't been so naïve and realized Yu Yevon couldn't and wouldn't help us at all. I could've been in the heart of Bevelle right that second, on my way to acquiring a means of ending this war. What was I thinking? Zanarkand has been a city of peace and luxury for as long as I can remember. What were we to Bevelle in terms of military? I should have fought harder and longer. If I kept going, maybe we could have gotten to the head of Bevelle and made him stop his war. Well, that was a stretch, but at least things would have been better than this. At least Kirin would still be alive.

A little bit of time passed and I was visited by a dark figure steadily approaching from the distance. One of the officers must have gotten someone after hearing the ruckus I made. It was just like that dream, but the figure couldn't have been Areth, could it?

"I see you are awake." The figure stated in a very distinct voice, "I have another method you could undertake that would serve our purpose as well."

"Yu Yevon, what are you talking about?" I grumbled, identifying the man with a leer.

Silently, the old crone approached the cell, his eyes looking at me with an air of spite, "If I call Lenne back from the frontlines, she would be safe from Bevelle's forces."

"What's the catch because I know there has to be one." I asked of him, doubt flooding my tone.

"Alas, you have seen through my guise. Very well, I shall tell you of a wondrous plan to be rid of Bevelle's onslaught, as well as, live eternally in the hearts of Spirans." He answered enthusiastically.

"Again… what's the catch?" I growled.

"Yes, I lost my thoughts there. Forgive an old and withering man. I am not as insightful as I used to be. Well, enough of my ramblings; I must tell you your role in the grand scheme." He said, his little tale already starting to bore me, "Bevelle's machina are great; however, there are creatures of magic even more powerful than all of the machina Spira could ever design. Such creatures are known as Sin and Penance. However, while the beast Penance can be contained with the power of fayth, Sin is far too feral to be allowed a gain in strength for longer than one decade. Ten years of maturation would allow Sin to move into its final phase, a form that can never be felled. Therefore, I have set a method in which a summoner can defeat Sin temporarily…"

"What is the CATCH?" I roared for a third time, unbelievably peeved at his stupid story. My plan was far less complicated than this creature of the deep crap.

"Oh yes, of course. My apologies once more. You and your lady summoner will help me destroy Sin before it destroys all life on Spira. Your summoner will bring forth an Aeon that will have enough power to pierce through Sin's body." He explained.

"Wait… Let me get this straight. You want to make a thing that is so unstable and uncontrollable that it'll attack anything and everything on Spira. All this just to beat Bevelle? Pardon me if I'm wrong, but I think my plan was just a wee bit better. And… you still haven't gotten to the point." I scoffed, "Sugarcoating your true intentions might have fooled me before, but being sucker-punched is really an eye-opener."

"Alas, you are far too impatient. You see, Sin is a creature that surrounds an Aeon like a shell or a barrier to the outside world. Therefore, once you and your lady have defeated the original Sin, her Aeon will become the next Sin. This unending cycle will be the means by which we can end wars on Spira for all eternity. They will be taught to discard the luxuries of machina and live a simpler life, one that could never hope to wage war." He continued.

I sighed and spoke in a frustrated tone, "Again, more sugarcoating… You said you wanted Lenne to summon an Aeon. I doubt any of her Aeons could pierce through something that could annihilate all life on Spira."

"Of course, I don't expect any of her Aeons to wield that much power. The Aeon I am referring to is a very special breed of Aeon, different for each summoner. You see, _you_ will be that Aeon." He stated.

I looked at him with the thought that he must be completely off his rocker, "Um, if you hadn't noticed, I'm not exactly a candidate for faythood…"

"Oh, that is but a simple matter. Under my tutelage, Lady Lenne will be capable of creating her own fayth. With her impressive skill, I have no doubts that she will learn this ability without fail." He started saying, as if the ink was already dry on the contract.

"So, you want me to become a fayth… Do you have any idea how stupid that is? Lenne would never agree to it and neither would I. Just help me with my plan." I argued.

"Foolish youth! You do not understand the elements at hand. Just do as you are told. Do not question those who comprehend a great many things you cannot hope to realize." He scolded, obviously irritated by my insubordination.

It was enough to make me realize he wasn't for helping Zanarkand any longer. "I'll never help you with whatever you're planning. Leave Lenne out of this, too." Yu Yevon slowly turned and began to leave, "Do you hear me? If you do anything to Lenne, death will be the least of your worries."

As empty as that threat might have sounded, given my present state, I meant every word. I'm not one to fail and if Yu Yevon ever called me bluff, I'd find some way to show him that I keep my promises. Even death wouldn't stop me…

"Bah, the war only drags on because Zanarkand refuses to surrender." A gruff voice caught my attention from outside some time later.

I looked up and strained in the dim light to see who it was. It was a guard… but he wasn't wearing a Zanarkand uniform… What were Bevelle soldiers doing in Zanarkand?!

"You're wrong! If you'd stop attacking, there wouldn't be a war." I shouted, putting aside my shock.

He scoffed, "We're not falling for that."

"Someday…" I muttered, "Your precious weapons will end up destroying you."

That someday would come soon… This guy might be my way of getting out of the cell so I had to play my cards carefully. First, I pretended to be done with him, turning my back and sitting back down. He was drawn in by that display of arrogance, far too much pride to have some punk show him disrespect.

"Bah, you stupid Zanarkand idiots. Don't you get it? You lost already. You've been losing and you'll keep losing. Your own leader already realizes that. Get over it, kid." He spat.

"Imagine the woman you love… Imagine she's out there in the midst of a losing battle. Tell me you wouldn't try to hope and pray like I'm doing. Tell me you wouldn't try to save her at all costs. Tell me you wouldn't try to lie to yourself." I told him, getting back up and walking toward the bars.

Likewise, the guard came toward me, signaling for the others to leave us, "Do you expect me to care about you or your girlfriend? Kid, grow up. Love is stupid." He came toward the bars and looked me in the eyes, failing to notice my grin.

"Love might be stupid, but not as stupid as you…" I sneered and reached my arm through the bars.

I swung my arm around and pinned his neck to the bars while I grabbed his gun with my other hand, "Care about my girlfriend now? I'll never let her die and this should prove my resolve."

I fired a few shots into the guard's chest then dropped the gun to search for the keys. I let go of the body once I did and unlocked my cell, sneaking toward the door. Listening, I could hear that there were at least three conversing. My sword was most likely with them and there wasn't a chance in this life that I would let them keep it. I retrieved the gun and picked up the guard's body, awkwardly walking him to the door. Kicking it open, I threw him out at the others, running through and locating my sword on a counter a few feet away. The guards started to fire at me so I had to evade somewhat before getting to the counter. I grabbed my weapon and turned, deflecting a few bullets before taking off. I couldn't waste anymore time than I already had. The fact that Yu Yevon told me he could call Lenne back from the front meant he was holding the summoners off for a little while. Besides, if I wouldn't help him with his plan, he'd need some other summoner to help him. It wouldn't work in his favor to send them off to their death just yet. Lenne was safe for the moment and I had to keep a promise. I ran to a hover cruiser, still dodging shots from the guards. It was good that Rothel taught me how to activate any vehicle even without a key. I got on the cruiser, hearing one of the guards yelling that it was his, and drove off quickly.

I reached the blitz stadium shortly after, losing those imbeciles in an alleyway. Kirin wanted to oversee Zanarkand and I knew of only one place to take her. I found her body in the same place I'd left it, the sight still stinging my broken heart.

"I'm back… just like I said I would be. But before we go, we need to clean you up. I can't let you go out looking all disheveled like that, now can I." I whispered quietly.

I didn't know if I only wanted to keep myself from breaking down or if I really thought she could hear me. The fact was, I wasn't sure my mind was very clear at that point. My heart knew Kirin was gone, but somehow, my mind didn't seem to understand.

I picked her body up slowly and carried her to the hover. There was no side seat on this one so I had to carry her in front of me. I drove back to my house and took her inside. The both of us were covered in blood and that was not the right way to present oneself. I got rid of Kirin's tattered outfit and scrubbed the blood off her, making sure to drain the wounds that she had. Once she was all clean, I looked in my closet and found one of the dresses Lenne had left from one of her concerts. Kirin and Lenne were about the same size so the dress fit pretty well.

"Okay, now that you're all cleaned up," I said to her while looking at my own stained wear, "I think I should freshen up, too."

I chucked my clothes into the hamper and went to take a shower. When I finished, I found one of my better outfits and got it on. Looking back, all of this really wasn't necessary, but at the time, I'm sure insanity was more useful than despair.

"Alright, now we gotta get you to the highest place around so you can see all of Zanarkand." I told her sleeping form, using as happy a tone of voice as I could muster.

Even as the world around me crumbled, I had to keep this promise. I gathered up whatever strength I had left to put her in the back seat of my hoverglyph and drive her to Mt. Gagazet and her final resting place. Lenne was on the other side of that mountain, but I didn't want her to see Kirin like she was. It was bad enough I had to endure it. Besides, I didn't want her to see me either. It would be easier to let me go if her last meeting with me was this morning, together before the rising sun. I was going through with my plan and that meant I was going to die. I didn't want Lenne to know my intentions. To do what was necessary, I had to go it alone. I wouldn't allow anyone else to fall victim because I failed to act again. No, it took losing Kirin, but I was finally on the right path.

I carried Kirin up Gagazet when the road started looking too rough and too narrow for my hover to move through. Soon after, a group of ronso halted my progression.

I stared at them with cold eyes, slowly unsheathing my sword as I held Kirin close to me, "Get in my way and you die."

None of them budged so I readied myself into an attack position.

"Stop!" I heard a gruff voice roar from afar. A large white ronso approached from the distance, his green eyes looking at me with solemn compassion.

"Shuyin tell Galte truth… Where is Rothel?" He asked me, already knowing what answer I'd give him.

"I'm sorry Galte… Rothel's gone… Bevelle attacked the blitz stadium… I'm the only one left." I told him.

The ronso let out a painful cry and punched the nearby rock wall, "Galte understand… Ronso let you do what you must."

When he finished, all of the ronso that had been blocking my path moved to the side. I nodded to Galte and kept walking, feeling a tear slide down my cheek as I recalled the vision of my best friend's pale face. I found my way to the summit of Gagazet and looked at the ravaged city I called home. I could see some light penetrating the darkness and realized that a new day was beginning. Hopefully, it could be _the_ new beginning, one that gave Zanarkand a definite peace.

I put Kirin next to a boulder and jabbed my sword into the ground. Using it as a shovel, I pried dirt away to start making a hole. Each time I drew more dirt from the ground, it became more real that Kirin was gone and I felt tears swell in my eyes, droplets trickling down into the hole that I was creating. Finally, I couldn't take anymore and, in a fit of rage, I charged my weapon and unleashed Force Rain at the ground, finishing Kirin's grave. Tears of anguish filled my eyes and I turned around, stabbing the ground a few times while trying my best to hold back my anger. It took a while, but I calmed down and wiped the tears from my face. I got back to Kirin and gently placed her into the grave, saying my final goodbye before pushing the dirt back. When the task was completed, I looked at my sword.

"Maybe this thing can protect you better than I did." I muttered lowly, stabbing the sword into the ground in front of Kirin's grave, "I love you… Be at peace… I'll be with you soon…"

I started my way back down to the hover. The ronso gazed at me with sympathy, unmoved from where they stood earlier.

I walked to Galte and took a deep breath to stop the chaos in my mind, "Look after her for me…"

"Gagazet mountain and ronso will protect Kirin." Galte assured me, putting a gentle hand on my shoulder. I nodded slightly to him and proceeded the rest of the way to my hover.

'Bevelle will fall before the next sunset.'

I promised myself that my friends' deaths would be avenged. I promised myself that I would save my love. I promised myself that when I was done with Bevelle, there wouldn't ever be a second war.

My hover sped through the outskirts of the Calm Lands, picking up as much speed as it could. If there were any machina assembled, they'd never see me coming. It took about five minutes to get to Bevelle's gate. Surprisingly, there were no machina anywhere. I drove straight through the gate, skidding to stop once I was inside. Some wayward brigadier was in the way, but that was taken care of quite quickly once my hover was through with him. Within Bevelle lay a powerful creature of destruction... and I'd be the one to utilize it.

"Congratulations on making it to my domain. Just one little thing: Where do you think all our forces are?" A cynical voice jeered from the shadows.

"What? You think Zanarkand's summoners can't handle your machina?" I returned, trying to see if I could spot an oncoming attack.

I felt a presence behind me, purposely moving close enough to tap its shoulder into my back, "But wasn't it your goal to destroy us? Didn't you want to beat them all single-handedly? The brave hero, how delusional."

"You know, I don't know what's worse, the fact that you came here without your sword or that you actually think Bevelle would be dumb enough to go after your battalion of summoners first." Areth snickered, still hiding from me in the darkness.

"Wait... you're going to go for Zanarkand without going through Gagazet? But then..." I began to say.

This wasn't a good revelation. Somehow, they knew how to get to Zanarkand without getting past the summoners. If they had all their forces, all at full capacity, Zanarkand would be annihilated before any of our forces even realize it. I had to move through with my plan quickly.

"Hey Areth, what are we gonna do with him? He can't even hurt us at this point." The guy behind me asked, his voice starting to sound somewhat familiar the more he babbled.

I felt the tip of a blade pressed to my lower back and schemes began to flood my mind.

It was then that Areth chose to step out of the shadows and show his face, "Well, we're going to hurt him, that's what. I think after we're done _neutralizing_ him, we should show him his beloved home in shambles. It'll be a wonderful sight before we kill him. Don't you think so, Kamil?"

"Kamil?" I pondered, turning around, "Oh, so this is that look-alike I mistook you for way back when. Tell me... Kamil is it? How's the neck? I don't know how good the hospital care around here is."

"You bastard…" He growled, poking me in my gut with his gunblade.

"Mind getting that off me? I don't really have time to play right now." I sneered, staring at Kamil's eyes.

It was rather impressive how much the two of them were alike. You could say they were twins, only Kamil didn't look half as pale and still had his natural brown hair.

"Shuyin, you want to sound tough still? We've got you beaten. One move and Kamil can easily gut you. Not to mention, you don't even have your sword. How foolish of you. You want to come to enemy grounds completely unarmed? That isn't very wise." Areth laughed, steadily approaching.

"Actually…" I replied, my mouth curling into a sly smirk, "I'm not the unarmed one around here."

Without another thought, I went into a somersault, allowing Kamil's blade to slide gently down my waist. When my legs reached, I tightened them around his weapon and kicked him in the face as I continued to move. The force behind my somersault sent the sword flying into the sky.

I finished the flip and waited, Kamil's gunblade steadily coming within my grasp, "Now who's unarmed?"

Areth shot a few rounds at me with his own gunblade, but I just jumped up, grabbed the other weapon, deflected, and landed safely back in the same spot. Kamil finally shook off my kick and lunged at me, a big mistake.

"NO!!!" Areth screamed.

Too late… I spun and slashed off Kamil's left arm, stopping him in his tracks as he screamed in pain. Taking one more glance at Areth, I smirked at him with his own vile expression before plunging the gunblade into Kamil's chest and firing three rounds.

"You'll pay for that…" Areth growled, approaching quickly.

"I'll pay for killing _your_ friend? At least I had the guts to kill him right in front of your face. At least I didn't need to hide behind an army to get at you. I'm not a coward. I'm not the one that left my love to be slaughtered and to his most hated rival no less." I retorted venomously, pushing Kamil's body to the ground.

Areth glared at me, seething with rage, "You… you dare accuse me of abandoning Trista?!"

"Well, it's rather hard not to considering her blood is on my hands and I've only got you to thank." I returned cynically.

Areth's glare suddenly twisted into his typical smirk, beaming with a sick glee, "I take it you've been smoldering over that for some time, eh? Did her _death_ upset you so?"

How could he be amused by what I'd done? "I guess she really meant nothing to you. I pity her, I truly do. To have you speak so lightly of her murder. She was my enemy; she was my victim, but to be dismissed at a whim like that, even she deserves my sympathy."

"Are you finished?" He mused, still smiling like a filthy urchin, "You utter fool. Did you think for one second I'd risk Trista's safety on you? Oh, but you didn't know how advanced our sciences were. Too bad. It could have saved you the trouble of mourning your actions. You see, Trista is more than fine. By now, I'd say she should be done taking out that little songbird of yours."

Suffice it to say, I was baffled. How could that woman be alive? I killed her with my own hands, "You must be losing it. I know who I killed and only Trista could have summoned Yojimbo."

"Oh, that's absolutely correct, I assure you. Then again, who's to say there could ever only be one Trista? Think about it if you can." Areth responded.

An answer surfaced within moments, though it only made me despise him and his entire city that much more, "You can't mean you cloned her! How foul can Bevelle get?! You manufactured a sentient being just as a back-up in case you die? So what about the copy? What about its life?"

"What about it, Shuyin? Their lives are all expendable. That's why they are the clones! You and your Zanarkand virtues; they've held your city back, don't you see? This is why Zanarkand lies in ruin!" Areth spat back, words defining Bevelle's bigotry.

"How could you? Those are lives you've created! You have a responsibility to them! How many are there, Areth? How many lives have you started just to end at your beck and call? Are you yourself just a copy, too, because the real Areth is too frightened of death to face me? Are you?!" I roared, outraged at the corruption Bevelle had shown since the very beginning.

"How dare you! The clones are just a means to an end. Our army is filled with them so the civilians could be safe. My friends, Trista, they were supposed to be among those who would be spared, but they volunteered to help the cause. Now, because of it, because of you, Truna, Vicre, Kamil, and Granu are all dead! So you see, Shuyin, I find no reason not to use the clones. However, you do not get the satisfaction of dying by any mere clone. No, you don't deserve that luxury. You deserve much worse, even more than I can bring you, but at least it would be a start."

By Areth's logic, it did make sense. Why jeopardize the lives of so many innocent people when you could duplicate them for the field? There was just one flaw: those clones were still sentient and still new life. He was sacrificing other innocent peoples so that the cowards of Bevelle didn't have to get their hands dirty and fight their own wars.

"Areth… listen to yourself. Your friends might have died, but at least they fought for what they believed in. What are you expecting of the copies? What are they fighting for? Fight to save the lives of those who were too scared to fight for themselves? Fight to protect the very people who've put them in those fatal situations? That's why Zanarkand never continued that research. Only copying organs and lost limbs were necessary. They helped heal the wounded and ill better than any spell or potion could. If only Bevelle could see that. Zanarkand…"

A bullet from Areth's gunblade abruptly ended my speech, "Shut up. You make it sound so clear cut. Zanarkand was always doing the right thing, always the virtuous one. Tell me what makes you any better than we!"

"Areth, that's exactly why we're better." I hissed, "We don't go attacking people for sport. We care about our neighbors and preserving peace! I know its pride that makes Bevelle hate Zanarkand so much, but traitor or not, you lived like we did for a while. Didn't you notice a difference? Any difference at all?" I asked, hoping there'd be something in his head that would click.

"Hmph…" He grunted, "Don't poison me with your lies. Had it not been for Shuyin of Zanarkand, my brother would still be here. His murder opened my eyes to what Zanarkand really is: a corrupt city underneath a gilded veil. Your own leader proves that already. No more wretchedness from the likes of you."

Brother? Areth's brother was killed in Zanarkand? "Areth, whatever you might think happened between your brother and I, you're wrong. Think about it. What purpose would I have to kill him?"

"Yes, you murdered him. Maybe you were too drunk to remember, but nothing can hide the fact. It was five years ago, but I still remember it vividly. My brother took me to Zanarkand that day to check out all the _wonders_ the city had. I was still just a stupid kid so I went to play in the arcade when he wanted to check out the Araboth pub. I found his body at that bar when he didn't come to get me later on. He was sprawled across the floor with a broken neck. The people who were still there told me some orphan boy by your name was the one who did it. The bartender was my brother's friend, Cassiel. He told me it wasn't the first time you did something like that to people. At first, finding out who you were was difficult. By then, you'd already started to use your other alias and joined the Abes. The only thing that led me to you was an address, an address to a house formerly owned by the great Jecht. It wasn't too hard to figure out that Jecht's two sons were one in the same, especially since Shuyin's records mysteriously stop just about the same time Tidus' begins."

Unbelievable… My first kill, that horrible episode, it was Areth's brother, "I'm so sorry… It was an accident. I only wanted to fend him off, but his…"

Areth cut me off, "Enough! I'm sick to death of every day you go on living when good people like my brother have to pay the price. Today, I avenge my brother. Today, Zanarkand's treachery finally meets its end. His life… for all of yours…"

"Are you kidding me?!" His brother's blood was on my hands, but that gave him no right to hold all of Zanarkand responsible.

No, it wasn't the time for compassion, "Take your aggression out on me, but don't you dare tell me that's why Bevelle wanted this war."

"Oh no, most definitely not. However, certain vital areas did fall in favor with my goals. The jewelry store, for example, or the Argos, or the blitz stadium…" He began, "Each one was carefully selected to deal the most damage."

"What do you mean by that? "I questioned. I knew why he had Damu's ship scouted, but how did he know about the store or the stadium?

"Struck a cord, have I?" He sneered, "Well, you already know about the airship. The attack on that store was just to shake you up. That's why I deliberately had them wait to strike. As for the stadium, you killed my friends, it was only fair I return the favor. Sorry about your game, though. As I recall, the Al Bhed Psyches were a formidable team and you Abes wanted to test their skill, right? That is why you wanted to face them in the first game."

"You knew we'd be playing tonight?" I asked.

But how? How did he know to attack the stadium on that night and not any of the others? How did he know about the Psyches? Our game was scheduled without his knowledge. Actually, it was scheduled by… Haru…

"Bingo. Allow me to explain to you the limits I'm willing to go to avenge my brother. The Zanarkand Abes, the fabled team that gave Spira its champions. Each season you select one outstanding young star to enter a rookie season with the Abes. Selections are made indiscriminately and open to all aspiring blitzers across the planet. This past season was no different. And that rookie is full of potential, isn't he? Entering his first season out of rookie status and already he's making the calls, setting the matches. I believe his name was…"

"Haru…" I stammered.

It couldn't be! Everyone of my friends were killed because of him?

"Ah yes, a wonderful back-up plan, wouldn't you agree?" Areth casually remarked.

Kirin

Rothel

Kion

Vena

They were all dead and it was because I killed Areth's brother so many years ago? How many people have suffered due to my careless mistakes?

"Oh, Shuyin. How the mighty have fallen. I hoped I'd find some way to push you off your pedestal. How does it feel to be defeated?" The snake hissed.

I… created this… I turned Areth into this vengeful demon who sacrificed whoever he needed to get his revenge.

"You're insane." I uttered, not sure which of us I was really talking about.

"Insane? Are you saying you wouldn't go to these lengths if it was your family? Judging from where you're standing right now, I'd have to say different." He sneered.

"No… things haven't changed at all. Like I said from the start, you're a coward! Think of all the lives you've dragged into your own problem. You grieve over your friends dying, but who was the one that sent them after me? Who was the one that had Kai executed? Your brother, yes I killed him, but tell me how you've honored his memory by spilling all that blood in his name?" I returned.

He was fuming by then, eyes twitching with hate, "Don't tell me how to achieve my goal, you son of a bitch!"

I felt my face curl into a hideous smirk, "Yes, Areth… I may be defeated… but I'd rather be defeated than have to go through what I'm gonna to do to you."

We stood separated by a few feet, staring holes into each other as we readied our gunblades. A moment later, we were dashing into one another, sabers clashing as we finished a pass. I quickly turned and ran at Areth's back, going for a stab. He moved right and spun, his blade coming close to my neck. I managed to duck at the last second and let it pass harmlessly overhead before making a backflip, swinging my sword out in front. He blocked, but the power behind my strike still sent him back a few steps. Once I landed, I turned and shot a round at Areth. He ran and dodged it, circling me and firing his own round. I merely slashed and deflected it, running toward the snake and kicking him square in the face. The move forced him to flinch, but he managed a quick crouch and jabbed a shoulder into my other leg to send me crashing. Wincing in pain, I tried to get back to my feet until I felt the cold steel of Areth's blade press against my neck.

"Checkmate, I win." He sneered, his words coated in overconfidence.

Instead of allowing him to seize the victory, I slid to my left as he stabbed, sweeping my leg to knock him to the ground. Both of us got to our feet almost simultaneously, each of our blades aimed at the throat of the other. I smiled and we fired in sync without a moment's notice. While I moved my head to the side to dodge, he moved his gunblade and used it as a shield, managing to deflect the bullet before it could careen into his skull. With his position in defense, I made my move, punching him in the gut and following through with a stab. Areth winced from the punch, but had enough left in him to strike my gunblade with his own, redirecting the saber in between his legs. He closed the gap and twisted his legs, pulling on my shoulder and forcing me to release the weapon. Using the momentum of his spin, he swung his own gunblade in a horizontal slash, attempting to take off my head. I bent backward, my body going low enough for the blade to pass just over my chest. Seizing the small window of opportunity, I sprung back after his miss and socked him in the jaw. The shot sent him reeling, blood spewing from his mouth. He spit out a bit of it and wiped his mouth with his arm, his pride more damaged and anything else.

"This is NOT over yet!" He assured, readying his blade again, this time in a stance similar to Takuma's.

I watched as he sliced the air in front of him with the gunblade, inscribing "死", an emblem of death. When he finished, it started to pulse, a deep red aura surrounding the ancient word to accent Areth's intent.

"Die!" He screamed.

Suddenly, fireballs rained from the sky, striking the ground all around me. The first missed me as I rolled forward to reclaim my gunblade, raising it above my head to block the next few. However, there were so many, no amount of defense could stand against its ferocity.

"What hit me…" I groaned, trying to get back to my feet.

"That's one of my techniques. I call it Doom." Areth snickered, the sound of his boots alerting me to his location.

Pulling myself together, I jumped up just in time to dodge a shot from hitting me in the face. Without a moment to lose, I lunged at him, ramming him with my shoulder and spinning to capitalize. My sword just missed him as he took a sharp leapt back. Without hesitation, I made a cartwheel and flipped into the air, slamming the gunblade down at the ground. Areth held up his sword and blocked my Spin Cut, but it took a lot of effort on his part and he flinched again from the impact. Using this to my advantage, I went low after my landing and swept Areth's legs, causing him to fall. Spinning, I went to slam my sword onto his body, but he managed to roll out of the way as I took out a chunk of the ground. I looked at my weapon and noticed it had a few cracks in it, no doubt starting from the Doom overdrive and then expanding from all the harsh attacks following. Areth got back to his feet and motioned for me to advance so I stormed towards him. We clashed swords and I could see that his blade was damaged as well, though far less than mine.

"You'll never win. I won't let you. My brother's death will be mitigated. I didn't spend months living in that cesspool of a city just to let you taste victory yet again. I will kill you." He said confidently.

I huffed, "You already have… You killed my heart when you murdered Kirin. I won't let you take my soul!"

I backed off slightly and caused Areth to trip, his strength having been applied heavily against my sword. I jumped to the side and stabbed downward at Areth's shoulder, but he dodged and spun his leg around, kicking me hard in the chest. The blow sent me hurtling to the ground and my back skidded me to a stop. A second later, I was back to dodging bullets.

When the shells stopped coming, I searched around and found Areth back in his Takuma pose. I figured he was going to use his overdrive again so I ran in as close to him as possible. After all, a shower of fireballs was only useful if the target isn't so close to you that your own attack will hurt you, too. I was within a yard of him when I realized my miscalculation.

Instead of writing that symbol again, he held the sword close to himself, the blade pointing straight upward as two of his fingers traced its edge, "Zantetsuken!"

Suddenly, his weapon erupted in white flames, changing into the shape of the legendary blade as he sliced the air in between us and created a pulse of energy that could have killed me on the spot if it had struck me dead center. Luckily, I was running with my sword held out in front in preparation for a lunge. The gunblade took the brunt of the hit, cracking that much more. The overdrive was incredibly powerful and, even with the weapon blocking, I was thrown a good thirteen feet. While cringing from the pain, I noticed Areth's presence drawing nearer. He was coming in for the kill.

"Time to die, Shuyin…" He voiced quietly, "I'll make sure to bury you next to Lenne if they ever find her body."

_Lenne…_ I couldn't give up on saving her. Slowly, I pulled myself back to my feet. Areth had to be defeated so I could continue with my plan. I still needed to save her.

"Still want to fight? Haven't you yet realized you've lost? Zanarkand will fall regardless of what those summoners do. When we've destroyed it, our next focus will be them. Rest assured, Shuyin, should they be able to defeat the machina we've sent already, Vegnagun will take care of the rest." Areth exclaimed.

"Veg… na… gun?" I muttered, breathing heavily.

"Vegnagun is Bevelle's most powerful machina. Vegnagun is our trump card just in case Zanarkand's pitiful forces can actually get past our standard units. As for you, you're nothing. Zanarkand's summoners will be hunted down just as soon as I finish you. Farewell…" He said, aiming his gunblade at me.

I began taking in ragged breaths, slowly rising to my feet and, scowling at my foe, muttered, "No… They aren't any of your concern… I AM THE TERROR OF ZANARKAND!"

With a roar, I darted at Areth and sliced into his forearm, forcing him to let go of his weapon. It hit the ground and snapped in two, most likely damaged from the power of the Zantetsu. I hacked at Areth again and again, each time in a different area. I hit him in the arms and the legs and across the chest a few times before deciding to wrap up my attack. With a leap, I slit Areth right down the middle, flipping to get the full effect. Then, I made a backflip and sheared his front again. Finally, I swiped him across the chest horizontally and turned my back to him. A presence appeared, one belonging to someone no longer with me. I looked up in the direction of it in hopes I was wrong, that my eyes had deceived me earlier. Above me, I saw something I never would have expected. Hanging there in the dawn sky, right above both Areth and I was Kirin's blitz ball. I knew what I had to do. I plunged the gunblade into the ground and jumped on it, using it as a step for my leap. When I reached Kirin's blitz ball, I began a backflip, kicking it on my way around. The bladed blitz ball sped into Areth's face, embedding itself halfway in. When I landed, I reclaimed the gunblade and swung around, slicing off Areth's head. The gunblade shattered from the force of my attack, shards of metal scattering everywhere.

After taking a breath, I stood and walked over to the fallen body, peering down at it. At long last, his plagued life was ended. It had been my fault that this Areth was born, but it couldn't be helped. He was another obstacle and I need to get through. It was funny how I could always come up with these excuses to justify my evils.

Another vision occurred. This time, I saw myself in some complex, Lenne at my side. Everything seemed coated in a hue of dread. Gunfire sounded and I saw us both collapse onto the steel platform. The last thing I saw was Lenne's face, a tear escaping her eyes. I knew that I had no time to spare.

"Vegnagun, huh? I guess that's what I've been looking for." I whispered to my felled foe.

After thinking about how I would locate the machina, I looked back at his body. "I'll be needing these." I told him, pulling off his uniform.

I put on the Bevelle gear, grunting from having to touch such filth let alone wear it. Shaking off my disgust, I proceeded over to Kamil's body after I was done with Areth and acquired a helmet from him. Chances were, the Bevelle soldiers wouldn't even notice who I was if I approached in their standard military garb, bathed in fresh blood. I walked around for a little while and eventually came to a wandering guard.

"Hey, are you alright?!" He asked me, quickly coming to my aid. I faked injury and groaned in pain, "No, those stupid Zanarkand bastards got to me. It doesn't matter, though. I got reassigned to Vegnagun duty after it happened so I should be okay. Nobody's stupid enough to steal that thing."

The guard laughed at my comment, "Yea, I know. Well, here, let me take you to your post. Once you're there, you can relax."

I nodded and he took me all the way to some building. We rode a seleva down into a military base under the city. When it stopped, he threw my arm over his shoulders and walked me over to a room with tons of monitors, sitting me down in front of them.

"There. You're all set. If you need anymore help, you know what to do." He stated, taking his leave.

I took in a deep breath and waited until he was gone. Looking over all the monitors, I noticed one was a view of some really big machina… Vegnagun…

I quickly removed Areth's clothing and Kamil's helmet and tossed them aside, cursing slightly at the thought of wearing them just a few moments before. This was it. The time had come to end this war. With the darkly lit corners of the complex as cover, I stealthily navigated the halls and corridors, eventually finding the room I saw in the monitors. Slowly, I walked onto the bridge leading to the holding bay for the machination, each step echoing loudly throughout the enormous hall.

"Finally…" I breathed, stopping in front of the behemoth. It was time to face my destiny.

I stared at Vegnagun…


	30. Interlude

_Interlude: Death_

The bullets tore through the air, bringing my attention back to the present.

My entire life, everything I had wanted faded back into a painful dream. The end was here and I had nothing to show for it. I couldn't save anyone after all. I couldn't set right all that had destroyed the peaceful balance of Spira, the various devices set in motion that forever tainted our precious home with corruption.

The bullets were now mere inches from claiming the threads of our lives. I couldn't dodge them this time. Lenne was right there. I couldn't just move away and let her be hit. I…

It was too late. I felt the searing pain as one bullet burrowed into my chest, piercing my heart. I felt the warm red fluid splatter all over my insides as the speck of metal passed through my organs, embedding itself into my spine. The force of the impact sent me spinning to my right. Time passed slowly after I was hit, almost to prolong the torture of knowing my life was over and that I had failed utterly. All my friends… Lenne… I couldn't save any of them. I thought of all the signs I should have seen that could have stopped this moment from happening. I recalled the events of the past year that could have saved my friends had I made a different decision. Everything was my fault. I was to blame for the death of all my loved ones.

My legs gave out through the searing pain and my body was met with cold unforgiving steel. I could feel blood flooding inside of me, bubbling into my throat and threatening to escape. The tearing flesh forced me to wince while my strength continued to wane. Each second that followed dragged endlessly. I could feel my pierced and bleeding interior rub against that bullet as my body struggled for air. I knew when each system gave in and shut down. Movement slowed arduously, none of my limbs accepting their fate. First, my legs went numb, the two appendages tensing up so much I thought they'd burst. Next, I lost feeling in my middle, my stomach, my lungs, all working too hard for my wounds to take. I would have let out a growl to release my anguish, but I couldn't even find my voice anymore. All I could do was wait for the rest to stop. I was helpless to change my fate, too late to help anyone.

My fading mind filled with memories of that day when Lenne was told she could become a summoner. She had dreaded it initially. It wasn't until I prodded her into it that she decided to become a summoner. It was my doing that led to our deaths. Had I just accepted Lenne's decision so long ago, she would have never been a summoner and we could have easily avoided this scenario. She would be a simple songstress and I would be her blitzer boyfriend. When the war hit, we could've escaped, maybe run off to Besaid or something. It would be selfish, but I knew that I'd do it to protect her. My friends could have come, too. Rothel could have had his retirement home, living out the rest of his life in simple pleasure. Larea wouldn't stand a chance of leaving for the front with Rothel and the rest of the gang pleading with her to come with us. Kirin and Jurama would be happy together, Damusa out with the Al Bhed fixing machina or whatever they did. Kion and Vena wouldn't mind it, either. Takuma wouldn't have been sent. He wouldn't have come to Besaid, but without the link to me, Areth wouldn't have wanted to come after him and he wouldn't have had to face off against a high summoner. Also, Kai wouldn't have died had I gone to Besaid. He'd probably believe me to be a coward and hate me along with Areth. He'd be safe from his best friend's wrath. Meanwhile, if I was in Besaid, Areth would obviously come for me out there. His goal wasn't Zanarkand at all; it was me. That meant the girl in the jewelry shop, the Psyches, so many of my people would still be alive. Even Trista, seeing as how I was the one to help Areth get her on his side. Lenne obviously defeated her in their confrontation. But Areth, he would have come on his own or had the Jowiles help him. Either way, the Abes would be with me and we'd easily take them down again. The deaths could have been avoided. All of this could have been avoided! Everything, everyone that suffered in the Machina War suffered because of me. I was a plague. I didn't deserve my friends… I didn't deserve Lenne… I only damned them for their love.

'I lay dying and I'm pouring crimson regret… and betrayal…'

I'd been lied to several times, also… The blood of my friends is as much a fault of mine as it is theirs. Yu Yevon… Haru… Trista… They cost me everything… I let them cost me everything. I should have seen it all. All the tricks and all the secrets, I could have detected and stopped them in their tracks. It was because I was too trusting, too naïve. When it came down to it, even their evils were my fault. I should have been more aware. My friends were destroyed and my home was obliterated because I was too stupid to see through their veil of lies. My life… a river of careless mistakes…

Through my pain, I managed to force my eyes open ever so slightly. My vision was clouded, my brain's functions slowing as more blood drained out of my veins and onto the steel floor. I used as much of what energy I had left, finally focusing. I saw Lenne opposite me, her eyes looking back into mine. With every remaining ounce of my will, I tried desperately to reach out to her. She had obviously been hit…

"No……" I groaned, the word never leaving my mouth.

I hadn't the strength or the breath to utter anything. With so much blood loss, I only managed to move my wrist and a couple of fingers. My vision started to cloud again. The last thing I saw before the world turned into a jumble of meaningless colors was Lenne's face, a single tear sliding down from her left eye as she tried to stretch her hand to mine. Her mouth was moving slightly like she was trying to tell me something, but having not the energy to say. If anything, she was trying to tell me how I failed her and she was dying because of it. What else could she have wanted to say to me?

I had no life left. My eyes slowly closed and the darkness tightened its grasp on my being…

_No! _

_I can't leave yet… _

_Lenne's trying to reach out to me… _

_I can't die just yet…_

I struggled desperately to stay alive, but I knew that it was all for nothing. I was dead and there wasn't a thing in the world anyone could do about it…

_Lenne… _

_I'll make them pay… _

_I'll make them all suffer for what they've done to us, Lenne. _

_I promise you… _

_I swear to you that our deaths, this fate, it will not be the end. Bevelle will know its mistake. _

_I will show them no mercy…_


	31. Chapter 29

_Chapter 29: Return to Spira_

** Chapter 1**

Cold… I felt cold… I didn't know why I could feel anything… I should have been in the Farplane by now… but then… if I was in the Farplane, who'd fulfill my vow? Bevelle still had to pay for what they did to my home and to its people. Bevelle still had to suffer the consequences… No… Not Bevelle… They were but a small factor of evil in the world. They were a mere speck of cruelty to this life on Spira. No… They weren't my only enemy… Somehow, I knew that I should have been thinking on a larger scale.

My eyes opened once more and I found myself in a cave, pyreflies swirling everywhere. What was going on? I knew that I was dead. I felt my body shut down. So, that meant I was unsent… Before I could pass on into the Farplane, I willed myself to stay on Spira. I still had unfinished business to attend to. Then…

I heard the familiar sound of metal striking metal, a force being pushed through the barrels of many weapons. Gunshots? But who was firing? I looked around and saw our fallen bodies, Lenne's a mere couple of feet away from my own. I thought this had already happened… Behind me, I found Bevelle's guards, all aiming their rifleblades at me.

"NO! DON'T SHOOT!" I screamed, putting my arms up in a reflexive shield.

The shots tore through the air and through me, but I wasn't hurt at all. From behind me, I heard two thuds and knew who they'd come from. I saw it again, our two bodies falling to the floor as the bullets tore into our flesh.

"No…" I heard from my dying self as he desperately tried to reach Lenne.

Suddenly, a tremendous pain surged across my chest and, instinctively, I pressed a hand to it. I felt a warmth and looked, seeing blood, my own, smeared onto my glove.

"Shuyin…" I heard from beside me.

The voice was soft and gentle, exuding an abundance of innocence as I felt a tender hand brush my shoulder. I turned my head and saw Kirin, back to the way she was before the attack, pure eyes gazing weakly into mine.

"Kirin!" I shouted, reaching out to touch her face.

Suddenly, there was an explosion and I had to shield my eyes from the blinding light. When the brightness faded, I glared back to see her, mind racing with possibilities of hope. However, I was back in the blitz stadium. I was back at the bottom of it surrounded in a pool of blood, Kirin's. From a few feet across the arena, Kirin's body lay, the tattered remains of my former life.

"Rothel!!!" My voice screamed from the upper deck.

I turned and saw myself again, this time shaking Rothel's body violently. "Wake up. Rothel, I know you can hear me… I said WAKE UP!!" I heard myself command.

I tried to approach him, to console the disillusioned wretch, but just as I was about to reach, they vanished and I was in the Calm Lands again, surrounded by all those dead bodies and smoldering machina. Looking around, I eventually came upon a huge machina, its cannons aimed at a familiar looking airship.

Somewhere to my left, I heard my voice again, "NO! Damu!!! Please get out of there…"

I turned to see yet another version, this one having just recovered from the machina attack earlier. This alerted me to what was going on and I tried to catch up to the machina, but to no avail. It shot at Damusa's airship as it had before and it happened again. The me from that time raced to the wreckage only to find Damu's ashen corpse.

"Areth, don't do it… I've known you since we were kids. I hate seeing you like this." A familiar voice pleaded.

"You hate seeing me like this? Well, you should have never betrayed your own people then! How could I ever forgive you for that Kai? No, you have to pay the consequences. Even though you're my best friend… I'm sorry." Areth stated solemnly, appearing before me as he glared into Kai.

I heard footsteps behind and turned to see the blitzer being arrested by Bevelle's guards. He stopped to look towards me, his sorrow-filled gaze directed at the worm staring back behind my form, "One day you'll realize your fault, Areth. One day your plan's going to come full circle and the things you do will outweigh your mission. Shuyin's not going to accept your logic and he'll come after you. I'm just glad I won't be around to see that. Areth, you can't…"

And then, a bullet found its way into his skull.

I glared angrily back at Areth, "You murdering son of a…"

"Bitch! You've deserted Zanarkand? How could you? The odds may be against me, but it can't be helped. I won't let you bask at Zanarkand's expense. You have to answer for your sins." Jurama growled over to my right, a bloodied dagger in his hand.

Trista appeared beside a wounded Areth as the psychotic bastard cackled, "Watch how you treat my woman, mage. Her magics are far more capable than yours will ever be." Trista smirked and summoned Bahamut.

"No… Her spells might be plentiful, but I assure you, mine are far more potent!" With a wave, Ju trapped Bahamut in darkness and destroyed the Aeon with his most powerful spell: Ultima.

"Impressive, mage. However, that will not save you!" Areth exclaimed just before Ifrit struck from behind.

With another wave, the Aeon was cast away and he was on the offensive again. Unfortunately, it was as I warned Kirin later: Jurama was too angry to concentrate. Areth kept drawing fire from him with taunts about killing Damusa. With the black mage so distracted, all it took was one carefully timed Holy and he was taken. The spheres of white magic tore through his body as he screamed and collapsed, falling in the same position he was in when I found him.

"Kirin… I'm sorry… I tried… my best…" I heard him utter before he expired and I glared at the two of them, celebrating about my friend's demise.

How dare they…

Before I knew it, though, I was in Bevelle again, back in the same room that housed Vegnagun. "You must stop! That's enough."

I turned around and there she was again, my Lenne. She was looking up into the cockpit of Vegnagun, arms outstretched. The operator turned and got out of his seat.

"Lenne…" His voice gasped.

I saw the guards run through me to them and I saw him jump out of the machina's cockpit and run over to her, hugging her tightly. They took aim once more and fired, killing the two of them where they stood.

"Stop it…" I mouthed, tears streaming down my face.

I saw Lenne's face, that sad expression she held before. And she smiled at me still, though I had killed her. I saw Kirin's death again, this time as though I was being thrown with her, feeling every bit of pain she did as the missiles exploded, sending her delicate form crashing into the opposite wall. A large chunk of rock slammed into her waist soon after, embedding her bloodied body into that wall. Charred debris fell onto her from the collapsing ceiling, one tearing her shoulder apart until her arm tore off completely. The fragment that was at her waist started to give, finally freeing her shattered remains to fall into the water below. The fragment, in the meantime, fell toward two crippled people at the bottom of the arena. I watched as it crushed them, my friends Kion and Vena, and I was completely helpless to save them. I felt the tremendous jolt, the force that sent them into the next world.

Numbness stung me straight through and I heard myself losing any composure I had left, "Stop doing this to me… I know it's all my fault. Stop…"

Gunfire soon silenced those pleas.

There were two thuds, two more heartbreaking thuds and Lenne's body lay before me again, sprawled across that cold metal floor.

"STOP IT!!!" I screamed.

I dropped to my knees, clutching my head as if that would drown out the images and agonized wails. I closed my eyes as tightly as I could, praying for something to save me from this, to stop whatever was doing this to me. I kept hearing the screams of my friends as their lives ended. I felt the torment Kirin went through when Damusa and Jurama died. I felt the remorse Kai had as he watched Areth's deterioration.

I would feel this for a long time, trapped between the life lost to me and the death that wouldn't come. Every moment, I felt this familiar anguish, but that wasn't the end of it. With each passing moment, I felt the suffering of every single Spiran throughout the coming Dark Age. All their hardships, big or small, I felt as if it were my own. It was overwhelming, the amount of torment there was on the planet.

"Stop… Please… No more…" I pleaded, knowing full well that my words were falling on deaf ears.

It didn't stop. For years, Spira's strife coursed through my mind. For decades, Lenne's fate unfolded before my eyes. For centuries, I saw the broken bodies of my friends, heard their cries, felt their blood on my hands.

"I understand… I deserve this destiny. I deserve this because I failed to save them. There is so much hatred and meaningless bickering in the world; it is too much for anyone to bear. There must be someone to cleanse it." I said, realizing the truth.

All life is suffering. Every person that lives must eventually come to suffer. There is no true peace but for the peace of oblivion. To redeem myself, I'd need to bring Spira peace…

It took a millennium, but I finally understood what needed to be done. As if congratulating my epiphany, the images and the screams stopped and I was returned to the cave. I had been reborn. Looking down, two skeletons were laid side-by-side, staring through my being with ghastly expressions.

"Lenne?" I whispered, moving to the one on the right, "Is that you? I'm sorry I couldn't protect you so long ago. Rest assured… I realize the error of my ways. I'm going to save Spira from itself. I'm going to let us all find peace. I'm going to end all suffering, just you wait. All of this will be behind us one day…" I gently pressed my head onto Lenne's skull and kissed her before moving to the second body.

"You fool… If you had figured this out sooner, all this could've been avoided. IMBECILE!!!" I shouted, kicking his skull into a pedestal near the wall and shattering it.

I walked over to the pedestal and noticed a sphere decorating its surface. "What's this?" I asked no one, picking up the orange object and playing it.

I was back in Vegnagun's chamber, soldiers of Bevelle huddled around two bodies.

"_Are they dead?" One of them asked. _

_Another shot my body in the back of the head, "Well, if he was still alive, he ain't now." The rest of them laughed. _

"_What should do with 'em?" Asked a third. _

"_Who cares? They're just trespassers. Toss 'em out in the Calm Lands with the rest of those Zanarkand bastards." The same one who shot me replied. _

_One of the men from the back moved up and tapped the former on the shoulder, "Sir, I think we should dispose of their bodies in a more fitting way. That guy you just shot is Tidus of the Zanarkand Abes, a well-loved athlete in blitzball. More importantly, he is Lord Yu Yevon's vessel. His lordship may not commit to Maester Mikala's plans should he discover this. Furthermore, Tidus and his father, Jecht, are legends of their time. The various regimes across Spira adore them and will most assuredly revolt and disregard the Yevon teachings Sir Trema is trying to instill in them if they learn that he was murdered in this war. Also, the other is Lady Lenne. Across Spira, she is known to be the voice of Serenity for her astounding musical abilities. I don't think I need to explain how that adds for us." _

"_Fucking… well, what do you suggest?" The prior grunted, greatly peeved at the revelation and sending another bullet into my skull for it. _

"_We've found a cave on Mushroom Rock Road. Maybe we could hide the bodies there." The latter suggested. _

"_You want us to drag these carcasses all the way there? Oh… fine… Fuck it, if it'll help Bevelle, I'd go to the depths of the Farplane. Let's get them up and out." _

"_Wait sir… We've got this lovely young lady, apparently very talented by what Jinva just said, all to ourselves. What's the rush?" The soldier put down his gun and bent over Lenne, smiling slyly. _

"_You're such a pervert, Gras. She's dead." The soldier named Jinva commented. _

"_Aw, you're just pissed that you didn't think of it first." Gras snickered, putting his hand on… my Lenne._

I grabbed the sphere tightly, overcome by rage. With a shriek of hatred and fury, I smashed the sphere into the floor, crumbling it into dust.

"Hey, what's the point of this mission anyway?" A voice asked from a distance.

"Who cares? If it'll get us into the Crimson Squad, I'm all for it." Another replied.

"Whoa, there's a lot of pyreflies around here." A third stated.

I smelled the stench of Bevelle on their uniforms… If one of them was anything like Gras, he'd regret ever being born. I felt their emotions; mostly fear exuded from them, fear of the cave's secrets, fear of me. I felt myself become pyreflies and I wondered what else I was capable of. As if listening to my thoughts, a few of the pyreflies entered the bodies of the surrounding Bevelle rats. Suddenly, I saw through their eyes as well as my own. I felt their minds struggle against my will, but I was winning out as memories, not my own, flooding into my being. Apparently, as an unsent, I had the power to possess anyone and make them do whatever I wished. Slowly, they all fell under my control. A sadistic grin gleamed across my representing faces as I ordered them to raise their weapons on their comrades. This they did obediently, though they kept trying to refuse. All at once, I forced them to fire, horrified screams finally loosed when they were freed from my grasp moments before the bullets collided. It was a small step, but I was learning about my new abilities as an unsent. With the power of the pyreflies at my disposal, I would undoubtedly bring peace to Spira. At last, my home could be safe and free from life's cruel design.

"Baralai, what are you doing? Get over here." I heard yet another voice call out.

"Will you two stop fooling around?! It's bad enough I have to be in this dank cave." A gruff voice scolded further in the cave.

I moved myself toward the sounds, wondering when they'd see what I had done. "What… what's happening to them?" The blonde whimpered as he saw my victims, falling to the floor in shock.

"Count me out! I don't want to join a group whose members kill each other." A tanned man with white hair stammered, gasping at the corpses that kept piling up.

The one with the gruff voice chose to continue on and the blonde, out of fear, followed shortly after. I could sense that the three of them were scared, though the one with the gruff voice was far less so than the rest. He was the one stopping closest to me, to my pyreflies, and he was thinking another thought: Why wasn't I one of them? Why do they die while I live? I looked at him oddly, wondering why he'd ever want to trade places with one of my victims. Of course, his body might have had something to do with it. It was practically half machina. Nevertheless, it intrigued me so I decided I'd give him what he wanted and possessed all three of them.

"Ah, what's that? Get away from me!" One of the others screamed.

I entered his body and the blonde shouted his name when he started to notice my presence. The masochist was fighting me, but was much less resistant than the other two. Once I was in possession of his body, another surge of memories and new information became available to me. I found out that the Spira of today was under the leadership of a religion known as Yevon. I found that summoners were dying every ten years due to the beast named Sin. Bevelle was the capitol of all Spira and also the headquarters of Yevon's Maesters, given the new title of _Saint_ Bevelle. The Spira I knew was gone and this new Spira was utterly disgusting. Yu Yevon had made a mockery of them all. Now, I understood why he wanted to create Sin so anxiously. Because of the presence of Sin, Yevon, obviously named after the bastard, was keeping his legacy alive for eternity. Bevelle was obviously working with Yu Yevon because now it was the largest and most powerful city on the entire planet. It was the headquarters of the Yevon Regime and had say over all operations across the globe. Spira was ensnared in their tale, this false ideal that froze generations in recession. So much treachery, I knew I had to put an end to it.

When I was done looking through the information, I realized that the three I'd possessed were pointing their weapons into the next, ready to fire, however hard their minds were crying for their bodies to stop. My control was absolute and apparently automatic, as well.

"Stop it!" A female voice interrupted the moment they tightened their grips on the trigger.

I knew that if I was to do anything on Spira easily, I'd need a body so I released them from my thrall, leaving a part of my essence dormant in the death-seeker. We ran out of the cave and were greeted by strange looking guards, Bevelle's new Yevon-based army. The four of them conversed with the soldiers about me or at least the form I had used before them. Suddenly, after they'd received word that they'd made it into that Crimson clan or whatever, there was gunfire. I didn't really care what was going on. Should the death-seeker get what he wanted, I'd merely possess another body. There were plenty there for me to choose from. I noticed a bullet approach the body currently inhabited and prepared to jump to the next, but the woman in black leather tackled him to the ground, saving him from his desired death.

The three men accompanied by that woman, ran for their lives, eventually reaching a tent of some kind. They took shelter and rested before the death-seeker chose to take a course of action being their "captain" and all. The woman apologized for saving him and then the four spoke of their future, seeing as how they had none with Bevelle. It was all rather boring so I started looking into names and faces so I wouldn't sound strange once I actually took over the death-seeker's body. I found his name to be Nooj. He also had a love interest named LeBlanc. She was this blonde girl who, through Nooj's memories, I found to be a complete ditz. In any case, the tan one with the white hair was Baralai and the blonde Al Bhed with the eye patch was Gippal. He had been the one that prodded Baralai into coming deeper into the cave.

"Your work is done. Why are you still recording?" I heard Nooj say to the woman, putting a gentle hand on the sphere.

That woman, the one that saved Nooj's life, was Paine, or Dr. P as was her nickname given to her by the Al Bhed. In any case, currently, the known summoners of some pilgrimage to defeat Sin were Yuna, Dona, and Isaaru. Isaaru and Dona were nothing too special from what I gathered from Nooj's understanding of them, but this Yuna, named obviously after Yunalesca, was the daughter of Braska, the summoner who'd defeated Sin ten years earlier. I remembered this Braska. During my time in the cave when I was still unable to control the pain, I felt Braska's worry for his daughter. When he summoned his Final Aeon, the fayth being some fake version of my father it would seem, he was killed, a combination of overwhelming stress from the summoning and possession by a parasite… Yu Yevon. His last thoughts were what would become of his daughter and if he'd succeeded in stopping Sin's wrath permanently. It was a very naïve thought. Of course, from what Nooj knew of Yevon, they wouldn't have known otherwise anyway. The faith told no truths, only the falsities of a desperate old fool. But aside from that, there was the information. The Maesters of Yevon were Seymour, Mika, Kelk, and Kinoc. Seymour was a half-guado, half-human and son of former Maester Jyscal. Mika was some old man, Kelk was a Ronso Elder of blue fur and green eyes, aged and feeble. Kinoc was just some fat man in yellow who craved and feared his own power. However, it was that Mika who made me feel uneasy. Something told me that I knew of him. Bevelle's secrets had all become equally revolting; it made it hard to distinguish individual treacheries. I decided not to let it bother me and returned my attention to Nooj.

He was walking away from Paine and Baralai and Gippal, apparently deciding on going their separate ways. This was it. I began filling Nooj's mind with my thoughts and let him be aware of my intentions.

"What? Who are you?" He asked in shock.

"I am Shuyin and the bringer of Spira's end." I answered him, "And you belong to me."

He struggled; he tried to scream and call out for his friends, but my power kept him silenced. "No use, my dear death-seeker. You are mine." I continued his walking and he soon stopped fighting me, "That's a good death-seeker. Nooj is it? Don't worry about your friends. They'll be safe soon. Once I've obliterated this world, we shall all be saved."

Suddenly, I felt his body jerk. He stopped himself and turned around, pulling out his machina gun as he did. He fired two shots, each bullet hitting its mark. The first hit Baralai in the back, alerting Gippal who turned to meet Nooj's second shot. The woman was apparently recording the entire thing, and though he hadn't wanted to, he focused on her next.

"I told you your work is done!" I noticed Nooj say to her.

I pondered the thought of Nooj actually assisting my quest. Then, it became clear. He was desperate, so desperate that he thought he could warn his friends to stay away from him, from me, by shooting them himself. They weren't dead. He made sure of that with the expert marksmanship he didn't realize I knew about. When they healed, they would be wary of him. Nooj hoped it would encourage them to foil any scheme I had. It was utterly pathetic.

I had regained control by then, but to appease my host, I still fired the round at the girl and she went down, "Nooj, I'm running the show now. Do not attempt to defy me again." I told him through his thoughts.

"Who are you?" He asked me, fear consuming him.

"Who am I? I already told you. I'm the one that will purge Spira of its pain." I repeated to him, shutting out his mind so that I could move his body as my own.

I realized that even as an unsent and even with this body, I'd still need some more support. I needed to retrieve my sword. If a thousand years hadn't totally corroded the metal, it would still be of some use to me. After all, it was my sword, a gift from Takuma. No doubt I'd be able to wield it as well as I used to, perhaps better given my state. First, I tried to find a hoverglyph.

'Where's your hoverglyph? Where's anybody's hoverglyph? Why aren't there any hoverglyphs?' I started yelling in his mind, scanning his thoughts until I found that his method of transportation was either walking or by chocobo.

I gasped at the future of my planet, 'What have you guys done to Spira? What happened to all the pretty technology? Please tell me you still have airships. Oh, thank the stars you still do!'

This was insane! Yu Yevon didn't lie when he said that he'd abolish all machina. He'd stripped Spira of all its technological achievements, all that made Spira what it was. In any case, I found a… chocobo… and rode off awkwardly toward Mt. Gagazet. Thankfully, the chocobos of this Spira were a lot healthier than the wild ones I used to know. Well, from the armor, these chocobos were bred for battle, another something I found quite amusing.

"You ride giant chickens into battle. Well, this Spira has its measure of entertainment. A sea of iron and blood and you greet it in yellow feathers! You lot must have Sin shaking with fright. At least, while I'm trying to redeem myself to face my friends again, I won't be bored." I mused at Nooj, his aura seemingly dimmed, "What? Thinking about LeBlanc? Don't worry. It's not like I'm after her or anything. I'm only after the total destruction of this planet."

'You're mad… I thought seeking my own death would raise some eyebrows, but this. Why would you desire to destroy Spira?' He asked me.

"Life is spent suffering. What's the point in living if there's no guarantee you can ever be happy? I learned my mistake and it took me a thousand years of bearing the scars of Spira. Enough is enough. I don't want anymore people to suffer so I'll bring Spira sweet oblivion, an eternal slumber." I forced him into the darkest recess of his mind and waited until I arrived on Gagazet.

I rode quickly up to the area I'd buried Kirin, bypassing the ronso. Galte was obviously not amongst them so why bother talking to his descendents? When I reached the gravesite, I gasped. Firstly, the back wall had some strange marking stuff on it and it was glowing. From what I could gather, it was something called "Master Summon". For now, it meant nothing to me, but what really horrified me was the phantasm in front of it. There was some sort of pillar of water extending into the clouds. I didn't know what it was, but I knew it wasn't real. Also, from what I could sense, there was life… artificial as it was, coming from it. Regardless, it was projected from where I'd left Kirin's body. Without a second thought, I released a few pyreflies into it, first to find Kirin's body and second to retrieve my sword. A few moments passed and I couldn't find anything. Then, my mind began to view Zanarkand, completely resurrected and bursting with life. It was the artificial life from the water, an illusion of my former home. I cursed under my breath the treachery of Yu Yevon. He'd most likely be the culprit behind this monstrosity. This was the origin of that fake version of my father who had accompanied Braska to his grave. That Jecht vanished from this fake Spira, as well. I conjured a thought about a false me, but that was a waste of time so I left it.

After a few more moments, I located Kirin's body, completely restored and with the same youthful visage from my time. It brought tears to my eyes that she'd been healed, at least in a physical sense. I hated seeing her body the way I'd buried it. It was probably the only thing Yu Yevon would get my approval for. Keeping my sight on Kirin, I whispered my words softly,

"You used to captivate me by your resonating light. Now, I'm bound by the life you left behind."

Soon after, I found my sword and made the pyreflies return it to my hand. As I examined my weapon, I noticed that it was in horrendous condition, no doubt from being out in the harsh weather of Gagazet for so long. Whatever the status though, I could still wield the glowing blue blade so I absorbed it into my being and returned to the chocobo.

"You know, I might want to have a little more fun with Spira first. After all, Yu Yevon's still around. I think I might as well make his life a living nightmare like the way he made my death. Yes, I think that I should revolt against Yevon. I'll have to pick my moment to strike wisely or I'd be labeled a heretic… well, you would be labeled a heretic and then you'd die and all. That wouldn't be beneficial to either of us yet, now would it death-seeker?" I told him, "Hmm, Maester Nooj… No that's pathetic… How about… Yevon Nooj! No that's even worse… I know! How about Mevyn Nooj? Doesn't that just make you sound important, oh great _captain_. Yes, you'll be the Mevyn of the… Nooj fighters? No, corny. How about… the Youth Group! No, group has to go… Faction, regime, cult… League, Youth League. Perfect! You'll be Mevyn Nooj, leader of the Youth League. It'll tell the masses of the evils of Yevon. We'll hunt for spheres of the past, like this one." I held out one of the spheres I'd taken from a recorder back in the cave before leaving with the Crimson Squad's surviving members.

'Why are you doing this to me?' He asked quietly.

"Why? I'm doing this because Yu Yevon betrayed me and it cost me my life. I'm doing this because Bevelle's a city of assholes and I'm going to teach them a lesson. I'm doing this to test Spira. If you pass, I might consider sparing you all from my wrath. If you fail, then _Yevon_ have mercy on your souls." I told him, explaining to him the method of my madness.

I created this group of mine once I received word from a crusader that Yuna and her guardians had rid Spira of Sin forever. My revenge on Yu Yevon had been halted, but it didn't really matter. With Yuna surviving her encounter with Sin, I heard from folks that Yevon had marked her a traitor and that Bevelle was loaded with machina. She helped me incredibly with my plans, turning the holy name of Yevon into ape shit. I initiated my scheme, my test of Spira and it took me two years to set up. Most of my members were former members of the Crusaders. Also, the summoner Dona was amongst my ranks. I could feel that all of them felt the seething betrayal of Yevon and wanted nothing more than to see it burn. However, as per my deal with Nooj, I waited. The Eternal Calm had emerged on Spira. The planet was forever free from Sin. Yuna and her guardians paved the way for my creation to flourish. Little by little, it gained in numbers. The elderly Spirans were still strict followers of the Yevon faith they were born into, but their future generations were under my thrall. I could feel it, the tension within families. I felt it, the building of fire. Yevon was a tarnished name and all my minions were bathed in hatred for it. And to make my point ever clearer, Yevon stuck around with its _New_ Yevon and there was much conflict between the two factions. If things got to be as bad as they had been in my past, I'd know enough to move through with my plans to destroy this world. Tick tock Spira… Show me your true colors.

A week after the two year mark, I found myself in Guadosalam, my, or should I say Nooj's home outside of the Youth League. Nooj… liked visiting LeBlanc, though his purpose may have been more than merely wowing the ditz. I knew he figured out that I was still a virgin because he made sure that whenever he was with her, they'd… well, do things… In any case, that was his business so I'd usually allow him control of his body at those intervals. The time allowed my attention to wander. I saw the development of my work as members of Nooj's Youth League assaulted and harassed the new regime of Yevon. Tensions heightened in all corners of Spira. While I made sure to emphasize what the group was supposed to represent, the mob influence changed any good intentions that might have inadvertently been conceived.

I had recently informed Nooj that I was ready to make my move, "Spira's had enough chances. You failed, oh great Mevyn."

It was probably that that provoked this visit. However, that day, LeBlanc actually refused Nooj, saying something about a big day and having some garment grid or whatever. She left in a hurry and I was left alone in the former dwelling of Maester Seymour. I watched the actions of my Youth League members across Spira, glee echoing through my host's form as they did exactly what I figured they would. As the images of dissolution flooded my mind, I could sense Nooj's realization that my gamble on destroying Spira was well coordinated.

'Well, since she doesn't seem in the mood at the moment, guess that means I get to come out and play after all.' I gleamed.

'Whatever…' Came his reply.

'Aw, don't be like that Noojie. After all, I let you have your fun with that thing as much…'

'Don't you call her that!'

"I suppose I've touched a sensitive spot. Never mind then. Back to business. I…"

And then I heard her.

About an hour later, I sensed her presence, though not anywhere close by. I'd know that presence anywhere; it was my Lenne. Focusing, I could hear her singing Real Emotion somewhere, but it seemed like someone else was dancing for her, moving with her because she no longer could. Apparently she'd possessed a body just like I did. I'd have to locate her and tell her of my plans for redemption. I wanted her to forgive me, but that would only happen if she knew I was still trying to make up for my mistakes.

A few days passed and I was expected to make a speech for the Youth League members at Kilika. With the two years that passed, I had found Nooj an airship, though the design was nowhere near as good as Damu's and the Al Bhed's from my past. The crew flew me to Kilika and I greeted my people for the start of their mission. It so happened that New Yevon, afraid of what Spirans would find out about Bevelle's treachery, had procured a sphere documenting a crucial tidbit of history.

"Greetings, friends! An important sphere is hidden in Kilika Temple, a sphere documenting the true history of Spira. We are here today to demand that New Yevon make the contents of that sphere public. Yet, as always, the voice seeking truth goes ignored. My friends, I ask you: Why? Because New Yevon wants to hide the truth!"

Impressive, aren't I? As I learned, Nooj was a prominent negotiator before becoming his crippled death-seeker self.

"Just as the temples did before them! I tell you now, this has gone on long enough! My friends, stand with me and together we will bring the truth back to the people." I finished off, moving towards Kilika's temple as the crowd cheered.

I could sense Lenne amongst the crowd, but her essence was faint, like she was inactive.

As I scanned, Nooj took advantage of my distraction to add, "But… let's not overdo it. Our opponents aren't as young as they used to be."

The crowd laughed much to my expectation. They believed Nooj to be joking. I knew that he was afraid of what I wanted, however little he actually knew about it. Therefore, I paid no regard to his insurrection. Yuna… the high summoner was exuding the faint presence of Lenne. I could sense that she was a little full of herself at the moment, wanting to take the sphere from both sects. If she wanted the sphere, she could have it. All I needed was to come into contact with her, even once, just to tell Lenne that I'm still trying to avenge her and the rest of our friends.

'It's almost time.' I told myself, 'Then, the fun begins.'


	32. Chapter 30

_Chapter 30: The Workings of a Madman_

** Chapter 2**

About one day passed with nothing out of the ordinary until suddenly, Yuna reappeared again, this time accompanied by her Sphere Hunting group. They had found the sphere from Kilika and decided to personally hand it over to me at my office in Mushroom Rock Road. Yes, I had chosen to set up camp near the site of my rebirth. Perhaps it was sentiment. Perhaps it was fate. Perhaps… I just looked on a map, blindly pointed somewhere, and wouldn't you know it, Mushroom Rock Road. Paine was there with her. Nooj made sure I noticed that. In fact, Nooj noticed her in Kilika, too, though I didn't care for small talk so I blocked him out and kept moving. This time, they were coming directly to meet me so the death-seeker's feelings got the better of me. I smirked at my handiwork, I could sense that Paine had changed. She'd grown colder, darker than she had been two years ago. She'd been thinking about how Nooj shot her. She'd been wary of him for that incident ever since _he_ started the Youth League. Nooj's plan had worked after all.

"We'd like to give you the sphere that you were looking for. Now that you have this, you can stop the fighting in Kilika." Yuna announced.

I looked at her and took the sphere, happy that Lenne was so near, "How generous… and how sudden. Maybe you should start by introducing yourself, High Summ…"

"We're the Gullwings!" Some Al Bhed girl exclaimed, cutting me off.

"I see; sphere hunters. In that case, I gratefully accept the sphere you have brought. On behalf of the Youth League, I thank you. Everyone, three cheers for the Gullwings." I had Nooj order of the League, my smirk glinting from inside his mind.

We entered my office where I waved for the three of them to sit.

"So did you watch it?" I asked them. The blonde one didn't understand so I clarified, "The sphere."

She then choked on her words, obviously intimidated by me. "We did." Yuna answered in her stead, bringing my attention back to her.

Nooj told her to forget, though I could care less what she did. She said that she wouldn't be capable and Paine ended up defending her against me, no doubt seizing the moment to lash out against Nooj. Unapparent to any of the others, I could see with my ancient eyes that Paine had grown fond of Nooj while being his recorder. That day had tarnished her ideal world and this iron-hearted persona was her resulting shield.

"Some advice: That… thing… The colossus you saw is known as Vegnagun. It possesses overwhelming destructive power. It must not be touched! Yet those Yevon fools think they can control it. The Youth League will do whatever it takes to make sure they do not get a chance to try. Trust me, you don't want to get involved." I told them, having seen the sphere by merely touching it.

Being an unsent did have its perks. I could practically feel the mindframe of every person in the room. I could access spheres by scanning the pyreflies that composed them. And I could relay this knowledge towards anyone, just about anyone. Paine loathed Nooj. That was the strongest emotion in the room and even he could feel it. Her warrior princess guise told her that she was betrayed and she would never let that take and encore. However, what I knew was, she seemed to still have some love for the Meyvn. I could tell that by just looking at her. It was the same expression Kirin had when I failed to return her feelings for me.

"Tell me… Who was the man I saw in the sphere?" Yuna asked, returning my attention to the present.

I realized she was talking about me. The sphere had shown my first and last words to Vegnagun so she also knew about Lenne, though very little. I found myself struggling with what to reveal to her. I couldn't tell her outright. Yuna was completely conscious and her meddling would be counter productive.

"I cannot say." Nooj ultimately told her.

It was a good call even if his intentions were otherwise. I couldn't let anyone else know about me. Only Yuna bore Lenne's spirit so only she could be told what I was to do. Besides, it would make a fine slurpie out of her brain when I did start telling her of my plans. This needed careful timing. She seemed disappointed, but that couldn't be helped. Hopefully, it was only this ex-summoner who was upset and not Lenne. I'd hate to hide things from her again.

Not a moment later, some other Al Bhed ran in about something and the three women left in a rush. Whatever was going on with them, it had nothing to do with me so I left it. I returned to ordering the Youth League members, sending a few units to go off and cause trouble for New Yevon or just make life harder for the rest of Spira. They were my loyal minions, mindless except for the desire to defeat the order of Yevon. Now, with the Gullwings practically on our side, it'd be a lot easier to talk to Lenne. My plans were coming together nicely.

I read up on more information to deal with this post-Age of Sin Spira. Mika, the maester that disappeared during that episode was brought into attention by Yuna as an unsent whose fifty-year term in office had been fraud. By the laws of Yevon, unsent were to be released to the Farplane upon death or as soon as discovered.

'How hypocritical of the crone.' I hissed.

'You seem engaged.' Nooj interjected.

'Oh no, just a millennium of memories catching up with me. I had a mentor. He's gone now.'

'Was your mentor a sick son of a…'

'With that glamorous personality, it really is a wonder you would have sought out your death. Regardless, Yu Yevon's not the topic for discussion today. Mika. This Mika. You think he's been dead for about fifty years. I'm saying that's an understatement. Part of the deal made with Yu Yevon must have stuck with Mikala all these centuries. It was enough to trap him in this life. However, that wasn't enough. He wanted more. Of course he wanted more. Power corrupts and now time wasn't a limit. Still, he couldn't immediately return to rule. There would be suspicion and Yevon would be over. So he stayed in the dark. Then, lifetimes passed him by until the name Mikala didn't exist anymore. Then, he came back. And even now, his crimes are reduced only to being a fifty years gone unsent maester. _Praise be to Yevon._'

"Sir! Our scout unit have confiscated a sphere from those scoundrels of New Yevon. Traces lead to Bevelle as the origin of manufacture. Sir, this sphere dates back to the start of the Crimson Squad trials!"

Nooj sent me a surprised jolt just then. "Very good… Kulukan, was it?" I replied, "I shall relieve you of this and look into the matter personally."

"Understood."

Later in the day, I decided to appease my nostalgia, and Nooj's anxiety, and paid a visit to the Den of Woe, as it was now called. After the incident from two years ago, where I first possessed Nooj, Bevelle had made it appoint to seal the cave with some highly advanced door. The sphere I was holding seemed to deactivate one of the locks on the door. I pondered the significance of the sphere in my hand before realizing that I had company.

"Is something the matter?" Yuna asked from behind me.

"Oh, it's you." I wasn't sure if it was a blessing that she had come to me so soon, but I decided that, if anything, I'd be close to Lenne's presence again. "As you can see, this place has been sealed, but just this one isn't enough." I held out the sphere for them to see.

Yuna seemed to have given up on the door, but the Al Bhed girl… what was it about her anyway… nudged her on. "Oh, I know! Why don't you let the Gullwings take on this mission?" Yuna replied.

I looked at them quizzically, especially the Al Bhed, "You'll find the other spheres?"

"On my honor as a sphere hunter! Of course, we won't do it for free…" She responded.

"Very well… I leave it in your hands. Here, hold onto this sphere." I told them, walking over to Paine.

The Al Bhed thought I was giving it to her and in her overzealous way, she thanked me much too soon. Actually, I would have given it to her, to get a good look at her, however, Nooj was adamant about me doing this for him so I gave in, allowing him to speak his peace to Paine.

"Perhaps this is fate?" He started.

She looked at him cynically, "I don't think so."

'Okay that's enough Nooj. Walk.' I told him through his mind, forcing him to leave the girl behind. As I left, I could hear them conversing about unimportant matters. That one day in Paine's life was so close to her heart. It was just like the last day of my life. You're welcome for the gift, m'lady…

I decided I wouldn't return to my office for the rest of the day. Instead, I took my leave and went back to LeBlanc's abode in Guadosalam. Something told me that Nooj would need some _healing_. LeBlanc was practically good for only that. I boarded Nooj's airship and had it send him to Guadosalam. Wearily, I walked the sloping trails to the "Chateau."

'Nooj, you owe me for this.' I told him.

"I don't understand you at all. Cold-hearted, a true demon of sorts, yet you have sympathy? Compassion? What happened to you?" He asked me.

"Believe me… If I showed you… It'd make you just as crazy as I am… Maybe worse." I returned, knocking on the door.

"Who is it?" The irritating voice called from the other side.

"It's me, open up." I grunted, actually sounding no different than when Nooj spoke to her. She squealed with delight, "Oh, my Noojie's come to visit me! How are you, love?"

I decided it was time to let Nooj take over so I released my control over him. I could tell he cared about LeBlanc in much the same manner that he cared about Paine. After all, if he really didn't care about either one, he wouldn't have let these little spasms of control go unused. It was out of fear that I would harm LeBlanc that he kept up the charade of being himself.

"I've had an exhausting day." He stated plainly, grabbing the blonde by the wrist and pulling her to their usual spot.

You'd think seeing Kirin nude and being the best friend of the biggest playboy in all of Zanarkand would make me feel any less nauseous about what they did to each other, but I found myself cringing from each well, whatever that thing was and whatever those were and why they needed binds for what they were doing. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise that I died a virgin with Lenne. Some experiences, you just don't want… and I'm over a thousand years old.

After Nooj was done with his… business… he made a bit of small talk with her before deciding it was time to go. The whole time, I'd been taking a breather. It was a lot easier to have two minds control one body. Whenever I let him take over, I could simply relax and get my mind on more pleasant things like destroying Spira to bring forth a true Eternal Calm.

"Oh Noojie! I have something to show you before you go." LeBlanc squealed.

"What is it?" Nooj asked her.

She brought out a cracked sphere and somehow got it to play. My attention gained, I watched it along with Nooj, seeing the beast Vegnagun, locked up in the same place I found it before, the underground labyrinth of Bevelle.

Nooj smiled and gazed at LeBlanc's eyes, "Thank you, LeBlanc."

"Anything for you, love." She returned, swooning over him.

"Now, I finally know the location of Vegnagun. Spira is in for a rough ride. Take care." He told her leaving quickly.

I could sense Lenne nearby, but decided to let Yuna and her brat pack play out their plan with the ditz. I had other problems to deal with. 'Why'd you thank LeBlanc? I could've told you where Vegnagun was.' I said to him mentally.

He didn't answer, but I had already figured out why, 'Oh… Well, just know this: If you go to Bevelle, regardless of if I was planning on using it now or later, you give me a gift and I'll use it.' I told him sadistically, laughing at him for thinking he could outsmart me.

I felt his grunt, 'I'll never let you use Vegnagun. You probably don't know this but I saw it inside that cave. When you possessed me, I saw it with my own eyes and I'll be damned before I let you go through with this madness of yours.'

I said nothing but merely smirked from the recesses of his mind.

Nooj figured going to Bevelle could mean he'd be able to dismantle Vegnagun. Not only was he kidding himself, he was playing right into my hands. The only reason I hadn't gone to take that machina sooner was because of that wager I made before, whether or not Spira could remain at peace. Although I had already seen that it couldn't, I wanted to play it out, watch those imbeciles destroy themselves once again. Spira had yet to change and I was far too exhausted to wait any longer for them to realize their shortcomings. Thank you, Nooj… You're realizing my mission for me.

Boarding his airship, Nooj ordered the pilot to take him to the woods of Macalania. The woods had been changing also. In my time, they were bristling with life and the crystal waters were a captivating marvel. Lake Macalania currently housed the Macalania Temple, former dwellings for the Aeon of Ice, Shiva. Macalania's pyreflies that provided its forest and banks with sustenance had been absorbed and used by the fayth. The difference in fayth and Aeon acquisition forced this to occur. This age's fayth were artificial, relying on special summoning stone in order to maintain composition. The stones had bound their unwilling souls to Spira and it wasn't until the key, Yu Yevon, was sent that the lock was broken. However, a thousand years worth of damage rendered the woods and forest unable to heal so Macalania was dying. _Praise be to Yevon._

When the airship landed, Nooj quickly departed for fear that I would stop him. Of course, I fed him a jolt every once in a while just for fun to maintain his ridiculous paranoia. He was, despite his disabilities, a very capable fighter. He had made sure to train his machina limbs and became quite formidable when need be. To sneak into Bevelle, Nooj needed those talents. New Yevon Headquarters didn't hold him in very high esteem. Through the Crimson Squad, he'd learned various infiltration techniques, but there were always the one or two wandering guards to deal with. Nooj cracked the necks of a couple using his cane as a distraction for his machina arm strike.

'Nicely done, oh mighty Meyvn.' I applauded.

He ignored me.

Eventually, Nooj's training took us into the central tower, a redesigned facility that was built right on top of Vegnagun's lair. "Hey Nooj, why don't you say hi to Baralai? I'm sure he'd love to say a few things to you, as well." I jeered the cripple.

Still, he ignored me, but I could sense that he was seething with anger and guilt.

We kept moving and eventually, I felt the tanned one's presence, 'Now's your chance. Say, 'How did you like the bullet? Does that feel the same as being stabbed in the back?' I wonder what he'd say to that. C'mon, try it.'

Nooj hid behind a wall to avoid his former comrade-in-arms so I appeased him. I sent a few pyreflies out of Nooj's body and blinded Baralai, making him unaware of our presence. 'Are you happy now? C'mon, hurry up. Get over to Vegnagun and beat it up. Throw your cane at it.' I mused.

The funny thing was, I think Nooj believed that he _did_ have control of his body again. He actually thought that he was suppressing me and that I wasn't just letting him make a fool out of himself. I could feel it, the extensive efforts, the silent pleas, and his growing confidence that I was truly subdued by these naïve ploys. He navigated the corridors slowly, the machina leg slowing his progression. At last, he reached the entrance of the underground, after walking through the halls of the Bevelle Temple.

"Where's the entrance?" Nooj asked out loud, staring at the rock that I found to be the housing for the fayth of Bevelle's Temple.

'You want an entrance? I'll give you an entrance.' I told him, releasing a few pyreflies into the summoning stone.

They were projected into the Farplane where I saw a little boy in purple robes and hood. "What? Who are you?" It asked.

I felt the boy's power. He was the fayth that could summon a Bahamut. What's more, the Bahamut his soul showed me was none other than a copy of Lenne's Bahamut. This fayth was an imitation, a citizen of Zanarkand who was turned into a fayth by Yu Yevon.

"What is it that you want?" It asked again, but I could care less.

I possessed it, an all powerful fayth itself. His struggle was stronger that any before, but even it was no challenge. "What does this Spira have to stand in my way?" I mocked the boy, slowly forcing him to use his abilities and then returning to Nooj.

'Here's your entrance.' I told him, directing his gaze at the stone.

"Where?" Suddenly, the floor rumbled and Bahamut's claw ripped through the surface, roaring in anguish at its new existence.

'There.'

"Why are you helping me?" He asked, unbeknownst to the fact that he was walking into my trap.

Without another thought, he jumped into the hole, landing in a heap as his leg gave from the impact. When he shook the daze from his eyes, he wowed at the massive underground of Bevelle. I nudged him mentally to keep walking and so he did.

When he eventually reached Vegnagun, I returned with a howl of glee, "Now Nooj, tell me how you'll destroy this!"

Foolishly, he took out his gun and fired at it, the bullet easily deflected off the machina's steel body.

I laughed wildly, "Brilliant attempt, Nooj. That was quite a show!"

Suddenly, the beast awoke, firing lasers at its assailant. I put up a shield of pyreflies and saved Nooj from death, snickering at the fact that he had been robbed of his goal yet again.

A little while later, I sensed the presence of my Lenne again. Yuna had come to Bevelle, no doubt ignoring my words to her earlier. From the pyreflies I left with Baralai, I watched their progression.

"The Gullwings? I was wondering who was there." Baralai said upon seeing them.

The girls just stared at him. "You don't have to tell me. I know why you've come. You're here to destroy the weapon that threatens all Spira: Vegnagun. Am I right? If it could be destroyed we would have done so long ago. But Vegnagun must not be touched. Neither you nor Nooj seem to understand that." He told them.

Who did that moron think he was kidding? Destroy it long ago? Hah! They'd keep it for eternity if it could be used to keep Spira on its knees. 'Though, your friend does have a point. You can't destroy it, you idiot. In fact, you've really helped in my quest. I mean, I didn't even have to force you here; you came all on your own and now I'm staring into the eyes of victory.' I jeered.

"You talked to Nooj?" Paine asked Baralai, bringing my attention back to their meaningless conversation.

"He… cannot be trusted."

'So sorry to hear that. Nooj, looks like there's mutiny on your ship, eh _captain_?' I snickered inside Nooj's defeated head.

"And you can be?" The Al Bhed girl questioned.

"Touché. Yes, I suppose Yevon has brought that distrust upon itself. At any rate, you need not interfere. Leave Vegnagun to me." Baralai replied.

It was amusing that Spira was like this. Even my speeches had been about unity in Spira, but with this much distrust and the forming of so many sects, where was this unity?

"What are you planning to do?" Yuna asked.

Baralai readied his staff and I knew they'd start fighting soon. While they fought, I'd seize Vegnagun for myself. I unsheathed my sword, averting the guardian fiends in the area and also scaring Nooj in the process.

'Where'd that come from?' He asked.

I shook my/his head and threw the sword, projecting my Hit and Run ability into it. The sword took a life of its own, destroying the bindings of Vegnagun and having the machina fall into the chasm of the underground. The hole extended to the Farplane, probably to connect the summoning stone with the fayth as Bahamut's supply of pyreflies.

"Sorry, I'm going on ahead." Paine said, running in my direction.

I jumped into the hole and controlled the fayth boy I'd possessed from before. "Let's see if these three women are capable of handling you, Bahamut." And maybe Lenne might be hinted to what's happening. Struggling against me, he tried desperately not to call forth the Aeon again. Ultimately though, my power overwhelmed the fayth once more and Bahamut greeted the girls, opening its wings with a great scream of rage.

"No way…" The Al Bhed girl stammered, backing away from my creature.

"What is it?" Paine asked.

I was stunned, "What is it? You stupid stupid girl. It's a freaking Aeon, that's what it is!"

The blonde yelped, "It's an Aeon!"

"Thank you!"

Yuna stared in shock, something I was glad about, "An Aeon…"

"Yes, Lenne… It's your Aeon. It's your Bahamut. Please remember." I stressed.

Yuna walked up a few steps and extended her arms as if her presence alone would stop Bahamut's assault, "You must stop!"

Paine immediately rushed in front of Yuna, her sword held out protectively, "You wanna get killed? We have no choice!"

Perhaps Lenne didn't realize the Aeon was modeled after hers. It didn't matter. For now, I'd just watch the fight. If they succeeded in defeating the Aeon, kudos to them. If not, I would have called off Bahamut before it could do any harm to Yuna anyway. She housed the essence of my Lenne like Nooj did for me. As far as I was concerned, she could not be harmed until I was done with her.

Each of them activated something and their clothes changed. The blonde one looked like a traditional White Mage, a pretty cute outfit for the girl as it was too large to fit her small frame. Paine turned into this deformed knight clad in black armor wielding a bizarre-looking sword, but what interested me was Yuna. Yuna changed into an outfit I thought I'd never see again.

'Lenne…' I felt a surge of her spirit and focused on it, not ever wanting to let it go. It completely consumed me and I sensed my mind going adrift.

"_I'm having so much fun with you." She had said to me as we laughed about her voracious fans. _

"_I'm sorry. I forgot that you were so popular." I had responded. _

"_Having all these fans can actually be fun when it lets me do things like this. Although, it also prevents me from being able to go places in public, too." She told me, though I knew all about how fame came with drawbacks, "Something I didn't understand was when they started yelling, Tidus. Why would they be yelling about him?" _

_She had never been to a blitzball game, but I would change that. At first, I had suggested the same plan of action I had taken to see her concert, but she wasn't that kind of person. _

"_Well, you have to do something or else you'll be missing out on everything Zanarkand has to offer." I told her. _

"_Like you?"_

The blonde held back in a healer's position behind Paine. Meanwhile, the latter rushed in close to swipe Bahamut's legs with that sword. Annoyed, the Aeon landed on the platform and slashed at the girl, the third vertical hitting its mark and sending Paine flying. Immediately, the blonde cast Cura and rushed to her teammate's aid. Nearby, Yuna used a few dances that I remembered Lenne using. She had created those performances to cast various detriments on the fiends of the past. It was wonderful how much of her I could feel. It was like we were alive again, having the time of our lives back in Zanarkand. However, that moment was quickly shattered as my eyes returned to the battle. Bahamut was positioning itself to use MegaFlare.

"NO!" I screamed at the Aeon, altering its make-up so that the overdrive, though it was too late to stop, would do barely any damage to Lenne's group when it hit.

With all my interference stunting the dragon's power, they defeated it with ease, Yuna returning to her former look after Bahamut collapsed. "Why is this happening? I wish you were here with me." She whispered, having lost her strength while she gazed at the pyreflies.

You? Who was you? Did Yuna have someone she lost, as well? She did ask about me in that sphere. Maybe the one she lost resembled me or something. I could feel her pain as she continued to look at the pyreflies. That man meant the world to her. He was as important to her as Lenne was to me. More suffering… Don't worry Yuna, I'll soon put a stop to that.

"Thank you Paine. You were right. We had to fight it, didn't we?" Yuna said to the stoic woman.

"Nothing…" The blonde said as she stared at the empty space where Vegnagun had been.

"This hole was made recently." Yuna suggested.

"Actually, Bevelle made it over a thousand years ago. I just made it a little bigger by chucking a machina at it." I mused to myself.

"You think it was Vegnagun? Unreal… How deep do you think it goes?" The blonde asked, wowing at the hole.

"Hey, nice guess little girl. How deep? How about center of the planet deep. That good enough for you?"

Throughout the entire event, Nooj remained rather silent. No doubt he was still smoldering about my trickery, but he asked for it. "Hey Nooj, what do you say we make more of a mess up there?" I asked him while we walked around the Farplane.

"Why ask me? Just do whatever you're going to do. I can't stop you." He answered.

"Ah, so you're learning. That's good." I commented.

Suddenly, more fayth descended from the pyreflies and stood before me. "Why are you doing this? What's your goal?" One asked.

"Do you really hate Spira that much?" Another asked me.

I laughed through Nooj, "You know nothing of what I'm doing. You simpletons, I'm bringing the true Eternal Calm to Spira. It will be a real peace, one with no suffering… ever."

"You are insane. What can this plan of yours hope to accomplish if not the death of every living soul on the planet?" A third exclaimed.

"Imbecile, that's exactly what I intend to accomplish."

"We cannot allow this. We fayth shall vanquish you." It replied.

"While I applaud your courage, I find myself weary of battle. Therefore…" I released my essence into each of them, "Now, be useful and go back to your temples. I have work that needs to be done."

They tried to resist just as Bahamut before them, but as with everyone, even fayth eventually became my slaves. I ordered them to go back to the temples they used to reside over. They summoned their Aeons and broke through to the surface like my first Aeon had. The immense fear and desperation they felt created imbalances in their pyreflies that resulted in a massive amount of fiends spawning in their wake.

"What will you do now, Spira? Bicker about how your temples are corrupted with the filth of fiends? Who will you blame?"


	33. Chapter 31

_ Chapter 31: Crisis at the Temples; Spira in Peril_

** Chapter 3**

Each Aeon created a base of sorts within its respective temple. Anyone currently visiting was either killed, injured, or scared out of their wits. The lucky ones ran for their lives. Those that couldn't escape helped make my goal easier by dying. I watched on in the Farplane as my minions terrorized the planet, creating more mass panic than the mere disappearance of Nooj, Mevyn of the Youth League, had produced. It was funny how dependant Nooj's faction had become on my guidance. Without my, well, Nooj's presence and support, the Youth League was in chaos, making outlandish statements against New Yevon about schemes that didn't make any sense anyway. Also, the probes that the Machine Faction set up all around Spira coupled with my unique abilities allowed me to see as well as feel the actions of everyone everywhere. Apparently, both Gippal of the Machine Faction and Baralai of New Yevon had disappeared, as well.

"Hey Nooj, what do you think this means?" I asked him.

He didn't answer me, his thoughts hanging on memories of his old friends and on LeBlanc. "You know… if you want to see her, I can show you." I told him.

"You'd let me see LeBlanc?" He asked me.

I smiled slyly, "Is that really who you're worried about right now?"

Though he didn't want to admit it, he slowly shook his head, realizing that I knew full well how he was still hoping that Paine would forgive him. It was true he loved that blonde, but Paine was practically his version of Kirin.

"I just wanted to die. Why can't anyone just understand that and let me be?" He started mumbling to himself.

"Paine cares about you, that's why. People care about life. I used to care about life. I went out of my way to save my home and failed countless times. I realize now that life's nothing but prolonged suffering. Death should be the ultimate peace, but that isn't the case for me. Even that isn't enough. Vegnagun will change all of that. There will be no more Farplane, no more Spira. The pyreflies that created all of us will scatter to the farthest corners of the universe and we will all sleep in peaceful oblivion. Don't worry about not being able to die like you wanted. I promise you that you'll have your wish soon enough." I told him.

While possessing the fayth had been a simple task, taking over Spira wasn't my goal. I had Vegnagun and it was where I needed it, but it needed time to collect energy. I'd need to continue monitoring the Aeons until Vegnagun's cells charged. It took just a minute for the strain of maintaining each link to take hold.

'Something wrong? I'm starting to feel a slip on your presence.' Nooj mused, the consistency of my pyreflies spilling out of his body.

Taunt as it was, he was right. I was strong with my unsent capabilities, but even I didn't have that much control. My power began to fade and I could feel my own consciousness slipping into darkness.

"The shadow fades." The fayth boy stated.

I couldn't let those words hold true. Too many people were in anguish and the risk of future generations in pain stung strongly in my heart. I didn't have the power on my own to perform what I wanted to do. The Den of Woe had given me my initial unsent assets. My strength relied on those pyreflies, but the cave was sealed.

'I'm not through yet!' I growled, focusing on what I needed.

The Den of Woe's supply was lost to me, but I had the perfect supplement. Pyreflies gave me power and I was at their source. I sent my aura into those pyreflies, drawing them to my thrall.

"What are you doing?" The fayth boy gasped.

The Farplane resisted, but eventually the entire core bent to my will. The Farplane's lush garden of color twisted and became barren, transforming into a wretched cavern, thunderous and coated in regret.

'What have you done?' Nooj stammered, horrified by my action.

"New beginning… Fitting for a new ending." It took barely a moment to bridge the gaps between myself and the Aeons and I managed to find them all.

Lenne's presence appeared in the Calm Lands. Yuna's group had arrived to help out the public. They'd come to fight the Aeon. I signaled for Yojimbo to ready itself for battle. Trista's Aeon had apparently been copied by yet another of Zanarkand's people. I would soon find out just how efficient this Zanarkand Aeon was. Yuna's group defeated each of the splintered fiends, arriving at the Chamber of Fayth as it was called.

"Please tell me! Why is this happening?" Yuna cried, obviously distressed that her precious summons were returned to Spira.

One by one, the three of them changed outfits. Yuna changed into something that Kirin would have loved to wear. Actually, wasn't the blonde girl always wearing something like that? What was it about that Al Bhed? I hadn't been successful at getting a good look at her before. Well, whatever it was, I didn't have time to lose my train of thought. That girl got on some weird looking jumpsuit thing and wielded this bulky firearm of some sort. The last of them, Paine, got on the same dark jagged armor that she used on Bahamut. Yuna and Paine attacked Yojimbo head on, Paine slashing with her sword while Yuna stabbed with her daggers… Daggers… The blonde usually had those daggers, too… Yojimbo was sent back a few feet, his footing having been lost thanks to my being distracted.

"Yojimbo, just use Wakizashi or something!" I commanded, trying to remember what Trista used to say to her Aeon.

Yojimbo complied, taking out one of its shorter weapons and making a quick slash. Paine was sent flying, the sword in her hand stabbing into the ground as she lost her grip on it. Suddenly, a blast came from afar, some sort of grenade. Wait, Kirin was the only one who ever used grenades. She used to create them with alchemy to add to her arsenal. Where had that come from? A little further on, the Al Bhed's gun fumed. I would figure out what was different about the girl in time, but for the moment…

"Yojimbo! Zanmato!" I commanded, remembering what Trista always yelled at the Aeon about.

It obeyed, creating the well-crafted sword and spin-slashing the three with it. All three of them fell to their knees, gasping for breath. I huffed; they were rather weak to fail at withstanding that diffuse attack. The last time I encountered Zanmato, it didn't take too much out of me. I had managed to completely sidestep the samurai and remove its head in one clean stroke. Quickly, the blonde shot Yuna and Paine with her weapon. I stared, confused at why she'd betray them. Then, she shot herself and I figured she must have decided that death was better than going through another Zanmato.

"Amusing." I kept watching, expecting that they would collapse at anytime, but they didn't.

Actually, Paine stood and retrieved her sword. All three seemed to be fully healed and all their stamina returned to them. "What was that?" I asked no one, shocked at the weapon.

"Yojimbo! Another Zan…" But it was too late.

Paine changed again, her new outfit a swirling mass of blades. She leaped at the Aeon and sent her edged tendrils at it, almost instantly shredding the samurai and bringing it to its knees. Then, plucking them out of the Aeon, she spun in the air and shards of steel came raining down on it, the perfect touch to her finishing blow. Yojimbo scattered into pyreflies like Bahamut had before it as I continued to stare in astonishment. I underestimated them.

"Hello!" The blonde yelled, having returned to her normal state.

"Careful, someone might answer." Paine cautioned.

Yea, someone like me, "Okay you three. You win round one. Let's see how long this will last."

"Hey fiends! You messin' around here you gonna pay, ya?" Some tall red-haired man shouted in the Besaid Temple.

Armed with only a blitz ball, the man chucked a few hard passes to take out a few of the critters that the Valefor fayth created upon ascent. It had been an hour or two since Yojimbo's defeat. I watched on, amusing myself with the futile attempts of this one lone hero. He reached the Cloister of Trials area and kept fighting. Soon enough though, the odds became too much for him. After taking out the last fiend in the area, he collapsed against a wall, gasping for breath.

"Weak." I scowled from the Farplane.

How foolish. I had been able to pull the Farplane itself into my control and he wanted to challenge me with a blitz ball? Too bad he didn't make it to Valefor because I'd make sure it was a game over. Battling the odds; what a joke. I tried that in a former life. My best friend died for my ideals.

"_ROTHEL!!!" I had screamed when I found his body, blank eyes staring up at the night sky. _

"_Wake up. Rothel, I know you can hear me… I said WAKE UP!!" I had commanded of him, though I knew my friend was lost to me. _

"_NO! Don't you dare close your eyes on me! WAKE UP!!!!" I screamed that one last time before collapsing with the realization of my failure. _

"_Please… please wake up…"_

Rothel's blood was on my hands…

And this fool thought he could surpass my friend? Well, the fiends could have him. In the meantime, there was Kilika. Some other guy, a rather muscular brute, was fending off a few Daeva fiends in that temple. He was actually doing alright, one-on-one. However, when I commanded the Ifrit fayth to send a few other Daevas at him while he was occupied with another, the story quickly changed. Rest assured, he didn't last very long after that. The fiends pounded him senseless. Some help those muscles were. That was how I dealt with tough guys. Early on in my life when…

_That loud snap, the cracking of his neck… my first kill. I had tried a new strategy with him. Unfortunately, he was really drunk and the constant insults had gotten on my last nerve. Then… it happened. My anger destroyed my reason and control. A punch came my way. Instinct kicked and I dodged it, but I was angry… I grabbed his arm and pulled him close. As he was dragged, my elbow jutted out and jabbed him right in the gut. I lifted him and proceeded to throw him. However, my tactics would come back at me this time. His chain caught onto my glove and the throw fell short. My arm was wrenched by his tangled form and he landed on his chin with his body following after, crushing over his head. Blood pooled out of his mouth as his eyes rolled back into his head._

… I decided to have some pity for the man and called off the attack, allowing the man to drop to the floor, unconscious.

"Wakka!" Yuna yelled, rushing to the side of the red-haired man.

The Al Bhed girl asked if he was alright and he merely replied that he wasn't injured severely. I had seen the entire series and I knew that he was shading the truth like I had always done to keep others from worrying about me.

"There are too many. Let's get out while we can. The man was right; we have to use fire." Paine stated. They wanted to burn the temple?

"Whatever's controlling the fiends must be down there. Take that bad boy out." Wakka told the three.

It was impressive. Wherever there was a problem, Yuna always seemed to be there. Was it Lenne's compassion motivating her or was she just as selfless as Lenne had been?

"And we won't need fire." Yuna said to Paine, bringing my attention back to the situation at hand.

The silver-haired swordswoman complied and the three left Wakka to enter the Chamber of the Fayth. However, the man wouldn't give in. Once the girls had found Valefor, he arrived again, gaping at the Aeon in front of his eyes.

I was expecting him to be as clueless as Paine, but surprisingly, "An Aeon?", he knew exactly what it was.

"No… something's not right…" Yuna muttered, seeming to be confused.

The blonde quickly turned to the redhead, "Wakka, stay back! It's not safe!"

I wanted to see just how devoted Yuna was to helping this world so I ordered Valefor to attack. It gave them no time to change outfits so they remained in standard gear. Yuna took out two pistols and fired multiple rounds at the Aeon, barely phasing it. Paine lunged at it with her broadsword, but it merely flew toward the ceiling and dodged.

"Valefor, go for Sonic Wings." I told it.

Quickly, it flapped, sending a strong gust of wind at the girls, sending them into the walls. The redhead threw his blitz ball at it, but it was no use. Why would anyone throw a blitz ball at something like that anyway? Even Rothel upgraded to his mace after his first battle. The only reason he'd fought with his blitz ball was due to no choice. In any case, when it was ready, I had Valefor use Energy Blast. It flew as close to the ceiling as possible and started to charge it's attack. Suddenly, Paine got to her feet and threw her sword at the wing of the Aeon and sent it spiraling to the floor, the stored energy of its overdrive scattering all over the walls of the chamber. These girls weren't to be trifled with… at least not unless they took me on. Taking advantage, the Al Bhed jumped on the fallen bird and stabbed it in the throat with her daggers. With a final piercing scream, Valefor exploded into a wave of pyreflies all around her. All of a sudden, I found myself back in the Calm Lands, watching Kirin stab the chimera fiend that housed the fayth of Elumina.

"Kirin?" I asked, taking a closer look.

Instead of her, I saw that girl again, pyreflies brushing past her to return to the Farplane. Those centuries spent in seclusion had made me excessively reminiscent of my past, I guess.

"That was my first Aeon." Yuna muttered as she watched the pyreflies.

Paine huffed to show her apathy as Yuna continued, "I grew up here in Besaid. This is my home. I became a summoner here… I have to protect this place."

Hmm, guess the temple meant something to her. Of course, for anyone who'd believe that she needed to preserve this place due to it being her first temple, they weren't very perceptive. It was evident in her voice. She was thinking about that man who looked like me. This was probably the first place she saw him and just like how I would never forget the night I met Lenne, this made the temple precious. Still, what was so important about that man to her anyway? She stopped Sin. I doubt she failed him like I did my friends.

About a half hour later, Yuna's group arrived in the Kilika Temple. I truly admired her persistence. It reminded me of how we fought Bevelle so long ago, never faltering in our resolve. The three of them defeated the Daevas and went to wake the large man that had been knocked out from before.

"Barthello?" The blonde girl whispered, waking the man.

They started conversing about things I cared nothing for, something about that Dona woman and protecting her and such. As much as I thought the same way as Barthello about his role with his love, I already knew that there wasn't a way to protect Lenne forever. Sooner or later, something would happen and valiant as one could be he would fail. For me, Areth and the war were my breaking point. I tried as hard as I could, but in the end, it didn't really matter. Yuna's group eventually left the man and proceeded to Ifrit. I stopped caring about these fights, knowing full well what the outcome would be. Sure enough, they would defeat Ifrit. Yuna dawned my Lenne's dress again and again her spirit filled my heart. It was a lie. Yuna was using her and it disgusted me. I commanded Ifrit to remove her from that garment by any means necessary. The Aeon charged at her, but just as it swung, Lenne's spell kicked in, blinding my creature.

"Ifrit! I don't care what you do, just get Lenne's garment back!" I growled.

Acknowledging, it created a ball of flame and slammed it toward her. Suddenly, the sphere was enveloped by a blue object and capture by Paine's weapon.

"This bullet won't last long!" She exclaimed to her teammates.

"Should we use it?" The blonde asked.

"Well, that or just wait for it to overload my gun. What do you think?" Came Paine's answer.

"Ifrit! What are you doing?! Attack them!" I roared, my mind still transfixed on that Yuna.

The Aeon rushed toward Yuna again, but before it could make a lunge for the girl, Paine shot the captured Meteor Strike back at it. The blast sent it reeling as it slowly regained its footing. As soon as it did though, Yuna converted back to her original form and got close enough to point her gun right into its mouth.

"Damn you…" I blazed as the shot tore through the throat of my Aeon.

After the battle, they started examining the hole that Ifrit had created when I sent it to the temple. My attention was taken elsewhere as I was then contacted by Baralai, much to my surprise.

"Nooj, this is Baralai. Come to Bevelle now!" He shouted at me.

"Fine. It's about time we had a reunion." I replied, turning off my remote com and projecting Nooj's body back to the surface, back to Bevelle.

I had to knock him out beforehand due to the strain of being transported out of the Farplane like that. I also left a few pyreflies behind to set the stage for Vegnagun. If I knew Yuna, she would find me and attack the machina. A few safety measures wouldn't be too bad an idea.

In Bevelle, I waited for a few minutes before Baralai showed up.

"So, what's up?" I asked him plainly.

"Not until Gippal arrives." He grunted to me rudely, eyeing me while cautiously walking around the platform that used to lie before Vegnagun.

We waited in that manner for around twenty minutes.

"Hey…" The third Crimson Squad member said upon seeing us.

Baralai grumbled, "You're late."

I had scanned Nooj's memories when I possessed him and knew this wasn't the first time for the Machine Faction leader, "If you were on time, then I'd really start to worry."

"Sure you should be here? The Youth League and New Yevon are crumbling without you guys to hold 'em together." Gippal stated.

I laughed to myself within Nooj's mind, "You expect too much."

As always, Yuna and the others were present, eavesdropping from behind the wall. I glanced over at them and smiled, making sure not to make that apparent on Nooj's face, 'I'll get you yet, Yuna.'

"There's something I needed to be sure of. Vegnagun… is gone." Baralai remarked to the two of us, bringing my attention back to him.

I knew that he was hinting at my actions two years back and smiled to myself, "Listen to you: 'Vegnagun is gone.' Are you trying to tell us that since that thing left on its own, Yevon's not to blame?"

Ah, the sweet smell of revenge. Yu Yevon, you want to start a religion? Frauds tend to make people lose faith in them sooner or later.

"It's the truth!" He pleaded, "The thing's more sensitive than its size would lead one to believe. It detects hostility and in an instant, springs to life! Should one even think of harming it, it awakens like a frightened child."

And the award for best dramatic actor goes to, "Hah, you did your homework."

"Wait, so you're saying that Vegnagun woke up because someone was trying to destroy it? Who?" Gippal wondered.

'Who indeed. Hey Nooj, should you tell him, or do I get the pleasure?' I jeered the crippled death-seeker.

"Who indeed." Baralai commented, inadvertently repeating my words, "I'm a little confused. You came to claim it for yourself, didn't you? But Vegnagun awoke. Why? Because deep down you hated it. Did you come here to use it or destroy it? Well?"

I laughed madly at his statement, "Both. You probably think that's impossible. You've always been too naïve to see. I wouldn't expect you to understand."

Nooj wanted to destroy it and I wanted to utilize it for my will, but they didn't know about me.

"Then, I hope you don't expect me to trust you, either. I believed in you once, when we were training for the Crimson Squad. I thought I'd never find a better friend. But you betrayed that… two year ago." Baralai said angrily, pulling his gun on me.

Gippal reprimanded him, but the Praetor could care less, "Why did you shoot? Why did you shoot Gippal and me? We were friends and you shot us in the back!"

I felt a ping of grief, of sorrow from deep within Nooj's heart. It was touching and I'd have sympathized had my heart not been shattered in this very place, by their kind no less, over a millennium in the past.

"ANSWER ME!" Baralai screamed.

"Just calm down! Nooj! Apologize already!" The Al Bhed shouted.

"That's enough! Don't push me…" He added, pulling out his own weapon and aiming it at the Praetor, "If this is what it takes."

I was overwhelmed with glee; this was just too entertaining. I dropped Nooj's cane, "This has turned out perfectly, wouldn't you agree? Yes, I shot you."

I pulled out Nooj's gun and aimed it at the Al Bhed, "You were easy targets. You… and Paine." I told them, my pyreflies floating all around Nooj's body in my ecstasy.

"You shot Paine, too?" Gippal asked.

Of course she was shot… Didn't they wake up at the same time? The Al Bhed from the inn had taken all three of them together. Oh well.

"Why?" Baralai added.

It was so pathetic it brought up a sadistic howl in me, vicious laughter that only graced me when I succumbed to my dark design.

"Answer me!" He shouted.

The fools. I guess it was about time I gave them a clue, "I made him do it. He was too weak to resist me."

"Nooj?" Gippal asked me, wondering why his old comrade was speaking as if someone else, like me, was speaking for him.

"I don't expect you to present any more of a challenge. Not now." I said to Nooj out loud, releasing him from my control and entering the Praetor's.

'Greetings, Baralai. If you were wondering, still wondering, I'm the reason he shot you. My name is Shuyin and you are now my servant. I'm going to destroy Spira to bring forth everlasting tranquility and you're now the means by which I'll accomplish my task. Praise be to Yevon!' I menaced once I'd established my presence and control within his mind.

I looked back at Nooj, "See, I found that the mind that hates and despairs is the easiest to break. Two years ago, it was the same with you, Nooj, seeking your own death. Now, you can have it." I told him, pointing my gun in his face.

Gippal tried to stop me and finally, Paine ran out to cause the perfect distraction.

"Paine, get out of here!" Nooj shouted.

I decided to take advantage of the situation and activated a barrier around the three of us. With the massive supply of pyreflies in Bevelle's Underground, I merged a group into a Marlboro fiend and ordered it to attack. While they fought the Marlboro, I jumped back into the hole and back into the Farplane.

I knew that Yuna's group would head over to the next temple to stop the Ixion I'd unleashed there as soon as they bested the Marlboro. I scanned the temple and noticed a rather strange phenomenon. The machina had been absorbed into the fiends, creating mechanical creatures of death. It shouldn't have been too much of a surprise. Those fiends were produced by an Ixion fayth, the Aeon of thunder. It made sense that the electrical properties of the fiends would have an adverse effect on the machina, though binding was an unseen bonus. My thoughts wandered back to the Aeon. It was interesting. Though a horse like Trista's, it still bore unique traits that separated it from hers. It must have been Zanarkand's memory. As with Lenne's constant summoning of Bahamut, only the Aeons more commonly revealed to the populous became the new Aeons of this Spira. As the fayth of Zanarkand were unnatural, they were limited in their capacity to design their creatures and compensated with their own experiences. Only the most displayed Aeons made the cut.

Waiting a few moments, Yuna eventually arrived as I was able to feel Lenne's presence once again. They defeated the machina fiends and moved on to Ixion at the Chamber of Fayth where my plan awaited.

"An Aeon?" The Al Bhed girl pondered.

Paine continued off for her, "Merged with Al Bhed machina. Isn't that what they said?"

"How can this be…" Yuna stammered.

'Does it bother you, Yuna? To watch each of your precious Aeons like this, does it? Well, soon that pain will go away. Soon all emotion will disappear.' I seethed back in the Farplane.

All three of them transformed into the same outfit as Yuna. My guess was that they were tired of all these incidents and simple firearms could allow them to blow off some steam. Each of them aimed twin pistols at Ixion and open-fired, not even giving it a chance to retaliate. It was safe to say they were victorious against the unicorn of thunder, but I wasn't through with it yet. Even Ixion had melded with an Al Bhed machina so I commanded it to make one final charge, an internal overload. While Ixion was doing that, Yuna and the rest were checking out the hole, one that could reach me. It was the perfect way to get Lenne to where I needed her. I was through waiting. Finally, Ixion caused the machina to explode, the blast extending to Yuna and the other two.

"Get back!" Paine warned, moving to her right to evade the blast.

Likewise, the blonde girl moved to her left, hiding behind the wall. Yuna, on the other hand, had no place to go. The explosion knocked her off her feet and into the hole Ixion had created during ascent, right into my hands.

"YUNA!!!" The both of them yelled helplessly, watching as the ex-summoner vanished into the abyss.

While Yuna plummeted towards the Farplane, I decided to have a little fun.

"Can you hear me?" I asked.

"Yes." She replied, turning upright and realizing that I was allowing her to stand.

"Ah, you can hear me." I mused.

She looked around, "I can't see you. Where are you?"

I smirked… "Right here!"

She looked at the direction I was projecting my voice and I shrouded her in light, forcing her consciousness into submission to bring her to me. I manipulated Yuna's accessory into bringing forth Lenne's outfit so that my love's essence would be amplified. As an added effect, having changed in such a dazed state, the experience was sure to disorient her. Following that, I used the pyreflies to overlap my body over Baralai's. When she woke up, she looked around, confused as to why she was in the Farplane and why she was dressed as the songstress.

I decided to make my presence known and stepped out of the smog of pyreflies shrouding my form, "At last, my love…"

I sauntered toward her steadily, slightly disappointed at the fact that Yuna and Baralai had to be present for this.

"Is that really you?" She asked me.

I ignored Yuna, though, I had to pretend like I was actually talking to her which irked me, "Yes, it's Shuyin. I've waited so long for this, Lenne."

"But, I'm not Lenne." She whispered, upset at the fact that I called her by a different name, the name that was important.

I relished silently in her jealousy and chagrin, just desserts for using my Lenne as a tool.

"Right Lenne? Together we faded from this world, but I returned on my own. I searched for you; I tried for so long. It was during this time that I came to realize something: Spira will never change. They still bicker over nothing and die for those worthless ideals. Enough! I'm through waiting. I have a better solution. Spira will vanish and, when it has, my failures will vanish with it. I will use Vegnagun to make it all disappear." I exclaimed, clenching my fist while I continued to progress towards her, "And we can finally fade away together, but I can't do this alone. Please give me the strength, Lenne…"

I put a gentle hand on Yuna's shoulder, constantly reminding myself that I was doing this for Lenne as if she was standing there and not this woman. It was so hard for me to contain the disgust I felt that I couldn't even touch the shoulder of my love, but I forced myself to turn Yuna, hugging her close as if I was embracing Lenne. Yuna felt nothing like her and it enraged me, but I had no choice. Lenne was within her, nothing more than a tool in Yuna's arsenal. I'd make her wish she hadn't done that. As soon as Lenne was free, I'd destroy her, but for the moment, I'd have to pretend that we were alone, just Lenne and I. I was reunited with my love once more, a thousand years into the future. Soon, I'll end our pain, Lenne. I promise you I will. I swear to it.

"Open your eyes!" Nooj yelled to Yuna, taking me out of my moment with Lenne.

She pushed away from me a bit and I realized it was over. I had to return to Vegnagun and leave Lenne behind once more. I cursed under my breath and allowed Baralai's body to reappear, letting Yuna go to fall onto the flowerbed floor of the Farplane abyss. I took away Lenne's clothes, this summoner hardly being worthy of wearing the garment. I extended an arm, the pyreflies swirling around it.

With it, I opened up the warp to my dungeon, the one that I had sent Vegnagun through for safekeeping, "The end is not far now."

With that, I walked through the warp, abandoning Lenne once more.

As I walked through the Farplane's deepest recesses, I heard the pleas of that summoner.

"I'm all alone…" She whispered quietly, kneeling on the ground.

Although I despised her, I also sympathized. I'd been trapped with the pain of Spira for one thousand years. It tore me apart and I had to face it alone. My goal was to end this pain, end this suffering. I manipulated the Farplane, using some pyreflies to direct her to an exit I'd create for her. It would take her back to Bevelle, hopefully alerting Lenne, too. The pyreflies made a whistle for some reason, but it worked.

"Where are you?" She asked, getting up.

I made the pyreflies whistle again and she eventually found her way to the surface. I made sure to knock her out again because the journey from the Farplane to the surface wasn't exactly the best thing for the girl. As with Nooj earlier and then, Baralai, the journey was safer this way. Humans couldn't handle such a strain all at once. When I was sure Yuna was safely back on the platform in Bevelle, I returned to my mission.

With that task accomplished, I returned to my plans, "Spira will be purged of hate, removed of pain, and devoid of life. Vegnagun will make all our anguish disappear, Lenne. I'll make sure our deaths weren't in vain."


	34. Chapter 32

_ Chapter 32: __1000 no kotoba - The Voice of A Thousand Year's Regret_

**Chapter 4**

I reached Vegnagun and stared at it just like I had done so long ago. "Soon Lenne. Very soon, I'll purge this world of its evil. I'll ensure that we are all at peace. No more suffering, no more pain." I muttered, gazing wearily at the machina.

I got in the cockpit and began making the necessary calibrations and adjustments, trying to get the beast to work efficiently. My plan was more than simple: Activate Vegnagun, point it at the heart of the Farplane, and then destroy it. Annihilating the core would produce a massive shockwave, ultimately destroying the entire planet. Without Spira or the Farplane, there would be no unsent and no fiends. The dead would remain dead, lost memories, never to be missed and never to be mourned. We could all rest in oblivion, the most peace there can ever be. It was perfect.

'You can't do this!'

Almost perfect.

"Listen Baralai and listen good. I'm not from your time. I came from the aftermath of the Machina War. Do you want another of those? No, I wouldn't imagine you would. Want to know why?" I scanned my memories of the past, remembering the grave sites, the blanket of corpses smothering the Calm Lands.

_The area was littered with decaying bodies and machina shrapnel. Pyreflies echoed the desperate wails of the dead and dying, only to be joined by more of their kind, bleaching the grass fields in an aura of torment and strife. Zanarkand military uniforms were strewn, tattered, across the field, flapping to free themselves from the corpses that had once proudly wore them…_

"So you see, I do this for Spira because I know now what we do to each other. Now hush; this will all be over soon."

_**Kimi no kotoba wa  
Yume no yasashisa ka na?  
Uso o zenbu  
Ooikakushiteru  
Zurui yo ne**_

Lenne? Is that you?

"_What's wrong, Shuyin?" Lenne asked me as we walked the oddly empty streets of downtown Zanarkand. _

"_Nothing's wrong. It's just that… I don't… I just don't know how to say it." I muttered. Why would I make her worry when I wasn't even sure of my fears? I didn't know if I was right. I didn't even know if I was stressing a good thing for Zanarkand. There wasn't a reason to cause anyone else alarm until I was sure. _

"_Shuyin, if something's wrong, just tell me." She pleaded. _

_Well, what did I expect? I usually told her what I was thinking. No matter what my reasons, I wasn't being honest with her anymore. I had fed her lies about having faith in Yu Yevon to stop her from worrying. I had yet to reveal any mention of my disturbing dreams in her presence though she was equally involved. I was keeping things from her and she was starting to suspect. _

"_It's not what you think. I just don't think I need to say anything about it just yet… At least, not until I'm sure. It's just a stupid idea that got in my head anyway." I told her, lying once again. _

"_If you say so…" She uttered._

'Why? Why are you telling me this? I know I lied to you. I know what mistakes I've had in the past. I'm going to make that go away. Please don't stay upset with me. I'm trying my hardest to rescind the errors of the past.'

_**Tabi tatsu kimi ni  
Tsumetai senaka misete  
Kiite ita yo  
Hitori tatakau no?  
Zurui yo ne**_

"_Shuyin, I know you don't want anybody else to die like we saw Damusa die. I know you don't want anybody else to feel all the pain that Areth is going through, but there's nothing you can do about it. Bevelle is overwhelming us and Yu Yevon is just trying to make sure that we hold them off for as long as we can." She said softly, trying to calm me down. _

_If it wasn't for the fact that I knew Lenne's life was in jeopardy, it might have worked. I wasn't about to let what happened to so many others happen to Lenne, not Lenne. What could I do? One month was all I had. One month and she would be at the front. One month and Lenne would die. _

_And so I broke…_

'You weren't cold back then. I was the idiot that ran away from you. I know fighting my battles alone isn't fair to you, but what choice did I have back then? I was trying to protecting you… even against your wishes. I love you too much to let you die without even trying to save you. I'm sorry, Lenne.'

"Forgive me."

_**"Kaette kuru kara"  
Oikoshite yuku kimi no koe  
Ijihatte, tsuyoi furi  
Toki o modoshite: sakeba yokatta?  
Ikanaide to namida koboshitara?  
Ima wa dekiru, donna koto mo**_

"_I… I've gotta go…" I said quietly, anger replaced with despair. _

_I knew it was too late. In a month, Lenne would die, her body ripped to pieces by metallic monstrosities created by an evil city. _

"_Shuyin…" She said sadly, pleading for me to stay._

My memory of that day was as vivid as if it had happened only moments before. It was our first and last fight. She was going off to the front and I would be left behind to start blitzball like nothing was going on.

"_You're not going…" I mumbled, loudly enough for her to hear me clearly, but low enough for her to realize how much those words had destroyed me. _

"_Shuyin, I have to go! I don't have any other choice." She quickly argued. _

"_It doesn't matter! You're not going!" I returned forcefully, grasping harder on the sphere in my hand. _

"_I thought you said to trust in Yu Yevon. What happened to that?" She asked harshly._

_It was the lie I'd been telling her to believe so that she wouldn't have to worry. It was her greatest argument because I knew I had been caught. Still, my anger proceeded onward, speaking for me, "Forget what I said! Yu Yevon can't help us now… You know what happened?" _

_With that, I pulled out my sword, still stained with the blood of those I'd murdered from before, "This happened! Bevelle attacked us again, hurt us again, stole our people's lives AGAIN! I will NOT let them steal you from me, too!" I stabbed my blade into the ground and trembled from the frantic rave my absolute hatred for Bevelle had driven me to._

'I couldn't let you do it, Lenne. I know you would give up everything to save Zanarkand. I would, too… but it was you, and I wasn't ready to give up you.' I thought, recounting the cruel minutes.

Try as she would, I wouldn't have stayed even if she had asked. I couldn't. My mind was a complete blur and my frustration wouldn't have led to anything good. That's why I ran, why I kept running. I needed time. I needed a counsel. I needed to find a way to save her… No, I wanted that. What I really should've done was what Takuma said:

"_Oh…" I murmured slothfully, the entire scenario having exhausted me, "Don't ask. I don't wanna tell." _

"_Oh, I see… Who died this time?" He asked me, being like his usual tactless self. _

_With a disgusted grunt, I gave him his answer, "Jurama. He was killed by Trista and Areth. It's all my fault." _

"_I see. Well, since you're obviously going to kill them, allow me to join you." He added plainly. I couldn't understand how he didn't feel any sympathy for those killed and those left behind. _

"_You know, there's a thing known as compassion." I hissed, though I no longer cared whether or not he listened to my words. _

"_You know, there's a thing known as warfare. You have to realize that, with a struggle like this going on, saving lives isn't about guarding the people you care about. It's about eliminating the threat! Your tactics have been wrong thus far. Focus on eliminating the harm itself, not defending people from them as they come and seeking vengeance once you've failed in that one instance out of twenty or thirty battles." Takuma instructed._

But I didn't listen. I lashed out:

"_So I should think about killing Areth and Trista and not protecting Kirin and Lenne? Well, that's what I'm doing now, isn't it?" I said in retort. _

"_You stubborn fool. The world weeps and you absorb its pain. When there's a problem, you always make it your own. When people hurt, you take their agony and add it to the strife you already have. You don't just feel the torture of your own life's problems, you feel the torment of all problems. Do you know how much damage you've done to yourself already? Understand something: Everyone is responsible for his or her own life. If you feel the need to be responsible for everyone, you'll only end up destroying yourself!" He scolded me, heartless as he was. _

"_I'm sorry, Takuma. I'm not as cold as you are. I actually have a heart. You're nothing but an unsent, and a ruthless warrior at that. What makes you an expert on emotion?" I rudely inquired of him. _

_He sighed and shook his head at me, "What makes me the expert? How about this then? I'm no expert. You're absolutely right. I'm only a cold-hearted unsent being, trained solely in the art of combat. What would I know?"_

I made so many mistakes back then. Even bringing true calm to this world, did I deserve peace?

_**Ienakatta, sen no kotoba o  
Harukana  
Kimi no senaka ni okuru yo  
Tsubasa ni kaete**_

_**Ienakatta, sen no kotoba o  
Kizu tsuita  
Kimi no senaka ni yorisoi  
Dakishimeru**_

"Thank you."

'I knew you were aware of me while I spoke to Yuna. I knew you could hear every word. Soon Lenne, I'll make all our pain vanish. Your words have given me more resolve than ever. Have faith in me, my love. All that we've been through, it won't matter soon enough. There's but a few more moments left and we'll be together again, united in oblivion.'

_**Yume no tsuzuki wa  
Kimi o omoinagara  
Ano hi no koto  
Wasureta furi shite  
Zurui yo ne**_

"No, the dream isn't over!"

'So long as we believe it's alive, it shall never falter. Stay strong, my love. Don't give into despair. We'll make it through this.'

_**"Tegami o kaku kara"  
Shisen sorashita kimi no koe  
Ijihatte, tsuyoi furi  
Toki o modoshite: okoreba yokatta?  
Matenai yo to kata o otoshitara?  
Ima wa dekiru, donna koto mo**_

"_Don't worry… I'll come back. If I'm gone too long, I… I'll write to you…" I weakly added, unable to hide my anguish, "I-I've gotta go…" _

_I blindly went at the door, pulling it open roughly and shutting it as I ran outside. _

"_Shuyin!" I had heard Lenne screaming behind me, just before the door shut. I didn't bother to see if she was following me._

I smiled to myself, 'Lenne, telling me that you couldn't wait wouldn't have stopped me then. I was weak and lost. I couldn't get it through my head what was the right thing to do. Takuma tried to set me straight, you knew what we should've done, but I wouldn't listen. I let this monstrosity fuel my attempt to mitigate my stupidity and only got you killed.'

In anger, I kicked the machina. Instantly, automatic defenses rose and I could sense a few weapon systems armed and poised to eliminate Barlai. With a single glint from my eye, Vegnagun disengaged for fear of warranting the disapproval of master.

'We can't linger on the what ifs, Lenne. I've learned from my careless actions. I know Spira can't change. I know that wars are inevitable. I know that anguish will continue to infect Spira's people, our people unless something is done. I'm going to do that, Lenne.'

"I'm going to save Spira from itself."

_**Kikoeteru, sen no kotoba o?  
Mienai  
Kimi no senaka ni okuru yo  
Tsubasa ni kaete  
**_

_**Kikoeteru, sen no kotoba o?  
Tsukareta kimi no  
Senaka ni yorisoi  
Dakishimeru**_

'I love you Lenne. I'll always love you. Not even annihilation will change that. Help me accomplish this task. We can finally rest.'

_**Ienakatta, sen no kotoba o  
La la la la...  
Kimi no senaka ni okuru yo  
Tsubasa ni kaete**_

_**Kikoeteru, sen no kotoba o?  
La la la la...  
Kimi no senaka ni yorisoi  
La la la la la...**_

Lenne's song ended and it had given me more confidence and strength than ever. I was sure I could do it. We'll fade together Lenne, I promise you. Together forever, just like we always wanted.

"It's time to rid this planet of its torment… once and for all…"


	35. Chapter 33

_ Chapter 33: Finale_

** Chapter 5**

The time was almost upon us. Vegnagun was just about ready and with it, "I will vanquish all of the darkness on Spira."

The people will cease to exist and I along with them. We will all be at peace, an Eternal Calm with no more wars and no more torture.

"Don't do this." Someone pleaded.

I turned from my seat on Vegnagun and noticed yet another fayth, one that hadn't appeared before. "Why not? Wasn't it you, two years back, who wanted the same thing I want now? You suffered for a thousand years, dreaming of a false Zanarkand while the rest of Spira was plagued by Sin. Didn't you want Yuna to destroy you and send you here so that you wouldn't have to suffer? There is no difference between the way you ended your pain and the way I'm going to end Spira's," I told her, "except that mine is much more permanent."

"No… We didn't want to dream of Zanarkand any longer. That doesn't mean we didn't want to exist." She replied.

"That isn't the point. The point is that you suffered and you wanted it to end. Destruction was your solution; it is mine, as well." I explained, knowing full well that was the truth behind the disappearance of Dream Zanarkand two years ago.

The fayth said nothing more, solemnly watching me, unable to make any more arguments. "Make yourself useful." I easily told her, possessing her. I sent the fayth out of the core, out to the warped dungeon of the Farplane Glen. Her Aeon was Shiva and I could use her to stunt the path of heroes.

"What you are doing is madness!" Another woman, also a fayth, exclaimed soon after, "What you are thinking is no different than what my son thought two years ago. Life is suffering, but we live it anyway. Don't you get it?"

I turned to her with a look of boredom, "Look lady, I don't know much about this Seymour, but if that's his belief, he's right. Why go through life feeling endless pain and torment when you can end it now?"

It seemed like the simplest thing in the world to me: Spira equals suffering, no Spira equals tranquility. What was so hard to understand about that?

"Listen to the voice of reason!" She begged of me.

"Listen to it yourself. Get out of my face and go help Shiva." I commanded, possessing her, as well. I was highly disappointed and frustrated that no one could see the gift I was bestowing upon this world.

"Why don't any of you understand?" I growled, "This world has failed us! We have failed ourselves. Our lives are worthless and tarnished by all the meaningless wars we've fought. This is the ultimate end! The _true_ Eternal Calm!"

It was Anima's fayth who answered as Shiva was totally gone, 'If you choose my son's path… I fear it will only lead you to his destiny. Turn back, Shuyin. Zanarkand believed in you. You are still their shining star!'

"The star has long since extinguished. Your son's fate was unfortunate. I'm sorry. I felt his grief and I felt your remorse when I was still in the Den of Woe. He was upset with himself for failing his mission, but I'll pick up where he left off. Then, there was you. While I was setting up the Youth League, I could sense your sadness for your son, the shade of failure consuming you even while you were sent. This is why I want to do this. I want these ugly things to vanish." I explained to the fayth, the first time in ages since I felt my humanity.

'For your heart's true desire, I hope for your success. For your intent, may Yevon help us all.'

A while later, I felt a presence at the Den of Woe that had housed a few of my original pyreflies. Once again, Yuna was there, Lenne's spirit emanating from her body. 'Hmm, so they've successfully obtained those other spheres. The door has been unlocked and the nightmare of the past revealed. This should prove amusing…' I told the much less stubborn Baralai, smirking vilely.

Paine took a deep breath, "Time to face my past. C'mon."

The three of them walked around the cave, eventually reaching the area where our skeletons lay. It was the same spot where I had first used my new abilities. 'Perhaps it's time to show these girls just what I am capable of.'

Using the pyreflies, I created phantoms of the three whose lives I'd destroyed.

"Something's coming!" The blonde yelped.

"Guys!" Paine gasped, staring in horror. As easily as I made them, I removed them from play.

"You okay?" Yuna asked Paine.

The latter stared blankly at the spot where the three men had been, "What was that?"

"Are they… unsent? No, that can't be right." The blonde stammered, a puzzled and worried look on her face.

"Pyreflies. I've seen this before. There are places where pyreflies cling to people's memories and make them eternal." Yuna explained. Well, she was partially right. The pyreflies made those phantoms based on my memory of that day.

"Those were the guys' memories from back then… preserved by the pyreflies." Paine added, "Memories... or two year old nightmares."

I decided that it was time to make my presence known, "Older than that."

I appeared in front of them, feeling the fear from each of their hearts.

"Shuyin." Yuna gasped.

"You!" Paine growled. I smiled at them, enjoying how much my presence had unnerved them.

"I wanted to rest forever, but the pyreflies make me relive that moment… again and again and again." I told them, disappearing and reappearing near the Al Bhed.

Whatever it was the bothered me about her, it would soon stop. I surrounded the girl with my pyreflies, making her scream as she tried to resist me. Effortlessly, I forced her to unsheathe she daggers.

"Rikku!" Yuna screamed.

Ah, yes, Rikku. That was the girl's name. She was Yuna's cousin, her father Cid being Yuna's uncle. She had been one of Yuna's guardians two years ago when she defeated Sin. She was lively… She was very lively. It felt so familiar, but I couldn't see it. It only angered me that this one girl could have perplexed me so. What was it about her? Why did I care?

"Something's wrong. Stay back!" Paine warned.

I used more pyreflies to manifest myself in front of the warrior, as well. She immediately tried to cut me in two, but that was obviously ineffective and I possessed her, too. Even as they both struggled against my control, I forced them to take up arms against their friend.

"What's going on?" Yuna asked.

This was perfect. If my speech hadn't done the trick, "You will see," this would.

I projected myself into Yuna's mind, making her see exactly what Lenne and I went through over one thousand years before. She watched calmly, her heartbeat steadily climbing while my memories played for her. Finally, she saw the moment that froze my soul in time and it frightened her to her very core.

"Stay back!" She yelled, once I left her mind, aiming her pistols at me.

"This is our story, Lenne." I told my love, her presence now fully shown.

While Yuna cowered, her hands trembling as she held those guns to me, Lenne was beside her, also kneeling from those wretched memories.

'I know it hurts, Lenne. It ripped my heart to pieces to have to see that for so long. However, because of this, I'm enlightened. I realize what must be done to bring us peace.' I thought as I gazed upon her, my angel.

"Don't make me say this again! I'm… not… Lenne!" Yuna shouted, her voice quivering out of fear, despair, and grief.

It was quite amusing that I'd reduced her to this. That'll teach you to use my Lenne as one of your toys. She cocked her guns, ready to fire. I laughed at the foolish attempt and walked Rikku and Paine to her, ready to fight… or take a bullet if she was that lost. Just to be that much nastier, I allowed those two a brief moment of freedom.

"Rikku?" Yuna asked her cousin.

With a sadistic smile, I took control of them once again, the blonde screaming loudly, much to my delight.

Yuna dodged Rikku's attacks, not knowing what to do that could stop her cousin without ending in her death. I forced Rikku to continue her attack, the abilities of the Thief Dressphere, as it was called, being quite impressive to me. Yuna _sphere-changed_ to _Gun Mage_ and fired a _blue bullet_ at the girl, but I easily made her dodge. See, I'm a quick study. And this girl was fast. It was like she ran on pure lightning… Pure lightning… Hmm, that sounded familiar, too. Like she could power… Never mind. I kept dodging Yuna's shots and slashing when I could get one in. Eventually, I cut her across the arm, making her squeal in agony as blood trickled down and dripped onto the ground. She sphere-changed again, this time into _Floral Fallal_, apparently her specialized Dressphere. She created a whirlwind of energy, enveloping Rikku and doing some damage to her. Fast as she was, she couldn't dodge something like that. Harshly, the whirlwind of light tightened around the girl and threw her against a wall. Suddenly, the image of Kirin being blown into the wall of the Zanarkand stadium flashed before me.

"Kirin?" I gasped, seeing Rikku again after my outburst.

What was that all about? I couldn't bear to watch Rikku in pain anymore so I released my grasp on her mind. Hopefully, Yuna would realize she was back to normal and not go overboard, but she didn't so I tossed Paine in front to intervene.

"Snap out of it!" Yuna yelled, readying herself to fight the warrior.

I had Paine slash off one of the petals of the Floral Fallal, damaging the garment enough so that Yuna had to change again. This time, she mimicked Rikku, using her own variation of the Thief. Her speed greatly increased and Paine's skill wasn't as honed as mine. With her speed a far cry as compared to Yuna's, the warrior took hit after hit, Yuna using the flat part of the daggers to bruise, but not wound Paine. I kept trying to slice the summoner with Paine, but it didn't work. The dressphere of Rikku was far too dextral and Paine wasn't capable of catching up with her mediocre training. Soon after, she fell to her knees, taking far too much damage to her legs to support the rest of her weight.

"Shuyin, stop!" A voice, one that I found to be rather recognizable, said to me, distracting me from my fun.

"Larea… It's good to see you again." I purred, turning to greet my best friend's girl, "So, you've become one of the fayth of Zanarkand also. Are you here to stop me, as well?"

"Shuyin, this is crazy! Why would you do this?" She asked.

I merely huffed, "As I told the Shiva fayth, you all wanted the same thing two years ago. I'm doing this for Rothel, too, ya know."

Larea seemed to be upset at that fact more than pleased, "No, you're not doing this for him. He'd never want you to do something like this. Shuyin, do you know what the fayth dreamt of? We dreamt of a peaceful Zanarkand, one without worries or cares. We dreamt of you, a sweet and innocent man who knew only of his love for blitzball."

"So, that's why Yuna thought I was someone else. That's quite amusing, wouldn't you say, Larea? However, this joyful youth, can he possibly be me? I highly doubt it. Not even you know me as well as you might think. My heart has been filled with hate and anger for a lot longer than these past thousand years. Your dream version of me is faulty. He isn't _real_." I stated harshly, glaring down at the summoner.

Meanwhile, with their minds' freed, Rikku and Paine rejoined Yuna. "Shuyin is no ordinary unsent!" Rikku noted.

"Seems that way. When he died a thousand years ago, his feelings became intertwined with the pyreflies, creating this… apparition." Paine added.

'I'm so much more than a mere apparition. I'm the avatar of Spira's final days and the day of reckoning has arrived.'

"He's like a dream… or a nightmare." Yuna muttered, most likely recalling prior events.

"He must have had some serious regrets for his feelings to act on their own like that." Rikku suggested.

'Girl, you have no idea.'

"This is what destroyed the squad; despair strong enough to crush the minds of those it touches. What just happened to us happened to them, too. Here, they felt Shuyin's despair. They went mad and they died. They killed each other!" Paine stated.

'My despair? What I shared with them was my wrath. They were Bevelle's. As far as I was concerned, they deserved to die.'

With the conversation between Larea and I paused for the moment, I recreated my likeness before them, also recalling the phantoms of the Crimson Squad survivors, "But these three lived. So… I decided to use them."

Paine growled at me, swinging her sword in rage. I decided to leave them to this fight. Should they defeat the Crimson Squad, they'd leave this cave alive. Should they fail, they'd just be more corpses. This cave's had so many, three more wouldn't make too big a difference. I realized by then that I really didn't need Yuna to keep Lenne. I needed only her _Songstress_ Dressphere. Thanks were in order to Rikku and Paine. Their minds told me all I needed about the dresspheres, Garment Grids, and the Al Bhed boy who invented it all, Shinra.

"Shuyin, a thousand years ago, I lost Rothel, too. It hurt so much, but even still, I'm not planning on destroying all of Spira as payback!" Larea told me.

"I didn't just lose Rothel! I lost Lenne… I lost Kirin… I lost every one of the people I loved! All of my friends… You weren't there Larea. You didn't see what I saw. You didn't have to say goodbye to their mutilated corpses one by one! I was right there! I held their dead bodies in my arms! Do you know what that's like? Do you know what it's like to bury your closest friend? Do you know how much it hurt to see Kirin like that? Don't even try to tell me you understand my pain!" I screamed at her, beginning to lose my patience.

"I found Rothel's body, too! Don't try to tell me that you feel any worse than I did because I saw him, too! I saw how pale his body was. We were going to get married! Bevelle took the one person I loved with all of my heart so don't you dare tell me that I don't know how bad you feel?!" She screamed back.

"You just don't get it. I didn't just lose the woman I loved. I didn't just have to see her die. I saw them all die. My heart was ripped out of my chest when I found them. You've never even seen what they did to Kirin. I wanted to save them and I failed. I died and do you know what happened after that? I watched them dying again and again, a million times over! I heard their screams in my head, felt the anguish in their hearts for a thousand years. I felt the pain of every single Spiran. I felt them for far too long. I'm sick to death of it, Larea! I'm sick and tired of the torture. I'm sick and tired of hearing people's final thoughts. I was tormented with the killings, Yu Yevon's twisted 'Age of Sin'. I don't want anyone else to go through that again. Destroying Spira will make sure that never happens." I told her.

Quietly, I saw a tear slide down her cheek, "You're so far gone…"

I glared at her, "Take your meaningless ideals somewhere else. I'm not interested in hearing them."

Still, she stood there, allowing me to sense her emotions, too. Her distraught emotions: the loss of Rothel and the thought of failing to bring me back. This was exactly what I was talking about!

"Make yourself useful! Call the Magus Sisters to help me. Stop living in your fantasy world; Spira never worked like that and you know it!" With a wave of my hand, I took hold of her and sent her off to guard the Farplane with Shiva and Anima.

Back in the Den of Woe, Yuna had subdued the apparition of Baralai, her kitana snapping the tanned Praetor's staff in two. They next engaged Gippal, the Al Bhed mirage wielding a rocket launcher for a weapon.

"This should be amusing." I told myself.

Without warning, he began firing missiles everywhere, firing from his gun every so often. Each of the girls kept dodging, running around frantically as explosions erupted millions of rock fragments everywhere. This episode was highly entertaining to say the least. Of course, as always, good things must come to an end. Gippal emptied his weapon and discarded his pistol. Instead of ranged attack, he activated the saw-like propulsion mechanism on the rocket launcher to be used as a melee weapon called _Grinder_. What was Grinder? Well, Yuna found that out as soon as she went to block Gippal's overhead swing. Her kitana was sliced in two and the Al Bhed wasn't through yet. Immediately, he pulled back and jabbed the girl twice in her plate mail, shattering the armor.

'Hmm, he's actually quite good. Maybe I should've gone with him, eh, Baralai?' I taunted the silent Praetor.

Finally, Rikku sphere-changed, her outfit turning into a blue jumpsuit, unzipped to the waist. A yellow machina appeared next to her and she quickly got on. Without waiting even for a second, she flew the machina up to the roof of the cave and reconfigured it, turning it into a laser cannon aimed directly at the blonde phantom. She fired and the blast removed Gippal rather quickly.

However, next they faced Nooj, someone whose skills I knew all too well. I had been in his body for two years after all. He lacked speed, due to his leg, but his accuracy was superb. I shot for him and hit each girl square in the chest. Lucky for them, one was in thick Dark Knight Armor, Yuna had Auto-Barrier so the shot was blocked, and Rikku simply hid in her machina. I kept firing shots and those two ended up hiding behind the machina, the barrier having been shattered and the armor starting to gain lots of potholes.

"Hiding from me, huh?" I gleamed from my seat back in the Farplane, "Baralai, have you ever seen Nooj's machina arm?"

And the Praetor didn't respond. "I think you have. Watch this." I added with a smirk.

Back in the den, I made Nooj punch the ground with his arm. Nothing happened for a while, but then, the ground erupted in a blaze of light, destroying Rikku's machina. The three were hopelessly underpowered and it was time to finish it. But first, I wanted to do a little more damage. Nooj leaped into the air, an aura surrounding him as I fully tapped into his machina capabilities. The arm charged a large ball of light, almost mirroring Elumina's NovaBurst if only a human could ever manage that overdrive's potential. It was Lightfall, a move I had conceived when starting the Youth League. As Nooj fell, I had him hurl the sphere at the three of them, bringing each to her knees. Once the visibility was regained, I approached them and aimed Nooj's gun at Paine, knowing that it would bring back some bad memories for the girl. However, just as I was about to fire, I saw Nooj sink to the floor and explode into pyreflies.

"What was that?" I asked.

As I witnessed, Yuna was back in Gunner form, her pistols smoking from the barrel. How could her bullets have been that powerful?

"Guess that Catnip accessory really works." Yuna told the other two.

'So you have some powerful equipment.' It wouldn't really matter. They'd never be able to stop me from my goals regardless of accessories.

The silence that followed brought an ominous threat with it. Yuna's gang would no doubt come for me and I would need to prepare. It had been ages since I truly fought and my skills could have dampened. With my power, I called for fiends to generate in the Farplane and began my attack. One boldly dove in for a quick kill, but I easily tossed Baralai aside and saw-bladed through. Then, I kicked off the fading creature to hurl myself into another fiend. The ogre made a lunge, but I landed on its back and carved my saber down its spine all the way to the end. With a scream, it exploded back into the depths. Suddenly, an Ultima came my way, but I merely swiveled away from the spell's range and flung my sword at the center of the Dark Element. Then, before it unraveled, I leaped onto it and reclaimed my weapon before pushing off it into my next foe. The worm opened its mouth, intent on swallowing my form whole, so to appease it, I dove right at the beast, side-spinning the entire way. Sure enough, I turned the fiend into confetti as each severed strand burst into a display of light. The following opposition was my classic favorites, a dragon and an armored tortoise, two of four legendary guardians. I had created them from my memories in the Cavern of Banished Aeons. It was where Lenne and I fought Zodiac and several other corrupted fayth. These two fiends were by far the toughest in the cave and I had enjoyed my bouts with them in the past. The Claret Dragon charged in for a bite, but I backflipped onto the turtle. Adamantoise tried to throw me off, but the dragon was already moving in for the kill. As it rose onto its hind legs, the dragon stuck again, but ended up with a mouthful of turtle guts instead. Dying, the massive fiend collapsed over the Claret Dragon, taking it out, too. While it fell, I rode it, tumbling along the back of the dragon at the last second to reach safe ground.

The last two fiends I made to test my mantle were none other than Omega Ruin's Omega Weapon and a Sacred Guardian known as Azi Dahaka. I had never fought Azi Dahaka in the early years, but there were stories about its power. It was said to dwell on a mountain built by the bones of failed heroes. With the workout, I had enough for a full charge Force Rain so I leaped into the air and fired at the two. The weapon was incinerated outright, bursts of its overloading body erupting from its carcass. It was never much of a challenge even when I spared it the first time back in those ruins. However, Azi Dahaka emerged completely unscathed.

"Oh, I like you." I commented while still plummeting backward.

The monster had shielded itself with its spiny tentacle-like wings much like the Sanctuary Keepers that sprouted up on Gagazet during the Machina War. The power of Force Rain sent me flying back towards Vegnagun where the foolish Praetor was attempting to shut it down. After I tossed him aside to tend to the Tindalos fiend, Baralai had come to and thought he could decommission Vegnagun while I was distracted. It was a simple matter of clocking him in the back of the neck with the hilt of my sword before I went back to Azi Dahaka.

Removing its wings from blocking its view, the fiend howled and shot bolts of photons into the sky. Moments later, I was dodging hails of light, inching my way closer to it. The attack was just like the Photon Wings I was used to, though much stronger this time around. It used that attack again, but I was getting close enough to strike. While dodging the bolts, I found the one that would land closest to it and pointed my sword to absorb. Likewise, it curled its wings again to block my overdrive, but I knew better. While blocking, it couldn't see me so I leaped onto a wing and slid down to its face. As soon as it saw me, it opened its mouth for a bite and that was curtains. With the energy from its Photon Wings, I aimed my sword and launched the blast right into it, destroying the creature from the inside. Still, it persisted and swiped a claw at me. Though unsent, my form was projected some distance away from the assault.

"Oh, I really like you. Once I'm done, you're going to be my doorman." I mused.

I could see it wasn't taking the internal Force Rain well, but it was still fighting. Out of the _kindness _of my heart, I rushed to it and sliced at it over and over, severing the wings, gashing the legs, and dislocating the jaw. Finally, as it groaned in pain, I stabbed my sword into the ground and kicked off it to perform the Jecht Shot high above. I assembled a blitz ball in the sky to use for my attack and once I landed, I reclaimed my sword and decapitated the dragon in one clean sweep.

"Legend said you would only die in a river of fire, Dahak. Guess legends lie." I hissed. Just as I finished, though, magma erupted from its mouth and pooled around its body, scorching the remains. "Or perhaps they just need better interpretation." I added.

Following the training sequence, I returned to the unconscious Praetor and took hold of him once more. A few hours later, they had entered the Farplane, swiftly advancing toward my position. I sent Shiva out to stop them. Obeying my will, she cast Blizzara, but the three of them weren't greatly affected. Yuna was using her Samurai Dressphere, evading the spell and dashing at the Aeon of Frost. Paine was in a Berserker Dressphere and had already used the garment's special skill, attacking quickly and harshly with her claws. Meanwhile, Rikku changed to Black Mage and cast multiple Firaga spells on Shiva. When Yuna reached her, she swung her sword like a cleaver, hacking away at the Aeon. Soon enough, Shiva fell to her knees and dispersed into pyreflies.

"Your turn, Larea. Show them the power of the Magus Sisters!" I commanded of my old friend.

Obediently, Larea summoned the Aeon trio, blocking YRP's progression. Yuna changed to her Floral Fallal Dressphere again and sent wave after wave of light at the Aeons. This didn't work as well as it had with Rikku. I simply had Larea use the Magus Sisters' wings to deflect the energy. Paine, in the meantime, snuck up on the widest of the three, Cindy. With her Warrior's sword, she carved Cindy up through the middle, defeating one third of the Aeon trio.

"Hmm, very impressive. She stopped the Magus Sisters from using their overdrive." I mentioned to Larea, knowing she could hear me even while being in Aeon form.

Quickly, Mindy used Passado, damaging Yuna thirteen times with her stinger. Yuna quickly sphere-changed to Trainer and used Yojimbo's Daigoro, or a variation of that dog, to take a bite out of the smallest of the sisters. Finally, Sandy made a move, using Razzia on Rikku. The head sister sent the blades of fire at the blonde, but Rikku used the speed of the Thief to easily dodge, flipping over the fire and stabbing her daggers into Sandy's shoulders once she finished the flip. Sandy stared shocked at Rikku before collapsing next to her sister. Only Mindy remained, constantly stabbing the girls with her stinger. She stopped for one moment just to cast a Thundaga on Yuna and then she was on the move again. Daigoro was no match for the bee so Yuna changed back to Gunner form and shot round after round at the Aeon, missing every one. Finally, it seemed Rikku was getting exasperated by the speedy Mindy. She watched carefully, pinpointing all of Mindy's movements. Once she was sure, she lunged, successfully grabbing onto the Aeon's wings. It disabled her long enough for Yuna to fire fifteen rounds into her. While still in Rikku's grasp, Mindy disintegrated, the pyreflies moving back to the deeper part of the Farplane along with her two older siblings.

"Okay, Seymour's mom. Go get them." I ordered, sending Anima to fight the girls.

If Anima was defeated, I still had my security locks to bar their path. The Aeon roared, using Pain to knock out Paine, _totally not my idea by the way, but it worked out nicely_. Anima looked rather ferocious, but also seemed sad, seemingly imprisoned by those chains around its body. Yuna changed to Gun Mage and fired one of the stronger blue bullets, Super Nova, at Anima. The Aeon was engulfed in heat as strong as a sun. Through the heat, I commanded Anima to use Pain again, taking out Rikku. Seeing both Rikku and Paine unconscious, Yuna sphere changed to Alchemist and mixed a Potion and Phoenix Down, creating a Mega Phoenix just as Pain hit Yuna, as well. Each of the girls was instantly revived, ready to fight again. Yuna quickly changed back to Gun Mage and used Super Nova again. Meanwhile, Paine fired a few rounds of her guns at the Aeon and Rikku cast Ultima as a Black Mage. Each of the attacks did a pretty decent amount of damage to the Aeon, but Anima wasn't going to fall just yet.

"Anima, time for your overdrive." I commanded.

Anima readied its attack. Two of the three girls realized what was going on so they both changed to Warrior and jumped up at Anima, slamming their swords on either side of its neck. Anima was beheaded, its chained body dispersing into pyreflies.

"Yuna, I'm sorry. We weren't strong enough to stop him. We wanted to at least warn someone… but instead, we were dragged into the darkness. We're no better than fiends." The Bahamut fayth I'd first possessed told them, appearing since the other Aeons had been beaten.

Yuna reassured the fayth, forgiving him for being unable to fight my power. "Please… Tell me… What is he?" She asked him.

"Shuyin? Just a shadow. It may look like him, but the real Shuyin died long ago. Even after a thousand years, his hate and misery linger on. His feelings grew so strong, they began to act on their own… Eventually, they became a shadow, a shade that wants only to vanish but cannot." The fayth explained to Yuna.

'So I'm a shadow, eh? My emotions are acting on their own? Who do you think you're kidding? It's true I want to vanish, but I plan on making all of Spira vanish with me. Poor pitiful boy of Zanarkand past. I guess my choice of action doesn't fit my star's status quo.'

Yuna seemed to feel a little more confident, "Just a shadow… I can handle a shadow."

"Are you sure?" Paine asked, doubting the summoner.

'Yes, are you sure Yuna? Are you so sure you can take me down? Somehow, I don't think so.'

"I'll banish shadow with light." She explained.

I could've gone into a seizure right at that moment. What a stupid remark. Oh, "I'll banish shadow with light." What did she think this was? A comic book?

"Light?" Rikku wondered.

"Exactly!" I exclaimed aloud back in the Farplane's core.

"Lenne's feelings." Paine interpreted.

If Yuna was planning to defeat me with Lenne's feelings, she was crazy. If anything, Lenne's feelings would only strengthen my resolve. A thousand words of reassurance! I decided that I didn't want to listen to any more of her stupidity and went back to checking on Vegnagun's progress.

Within a few minutes, Yuna, Paine, and Rikku reached my security system. The only way to disable it was to play the organs. Fail and they'd have Azi Dahaka to deal with. I deliberately gave them the notes, if they would take the time to find them. Even if they did, playing the organ required musical talent. That was why Gippal didn't make it to the party. Nooj was present, but only because, as my first possession, I figured it was sentimentally required to have him witness my victory. In any case, Yuna and her friends wouldn't be able to get to me without… help. Lenne could get to me. If she wanted to, she could bring Yuna's group closer. It wouldn't matter. Yuna would never be capable of defeating me. I've gone through too much to let a stupid girl with a crush on a simple copy win. Lenne aided and guided Yuna through the maze, playing the organ in that special way only she could. They reached the lifts, a place where they'd need the most skill. First, they had to navigate the platforms, stepping on the right ones that would play a melody I'd set for it. Once again, only Lenne would know that melody. She guided Yuna, effortlessly disabling the systems.

"I've got a hunch that once we go on ahead, there's no turning back." Rikku stated.

'That's right little girl. Turn back now or be the first of Spira to fade.' I warned, but together they continued to move, eventually reaching Nooj and me.

"Both Baralai and Vegnagun belong to him now." Nooj muttered, noticing the arrival of the Gullwings.

I decided to wait for them. I wanted to see what they could do to Vegnagun. Nooj told them of his retarded plan to blow himself up with me. It was funny how he didn't realize I could easily possess one of the other bodies around. Not to mention, I would be stupid not to use my sword to block his bullet.

"I don't like your plan. It sucks." Yuna replied.

'I agree with you, Yuna.'

The summoner started rambling about her pilgrimage, about defeating Sin. While she spoke, I could feel the presence of several people, one of whom was her father. The other presence was Auron, the close friend of Yuna's father, Braska, and one who's pain I also felt. He felt hatred for Yunalesca for deceiving him about the Final Aeon. For ten years, he grieved, vowing revenge deep in his heart. Unfortunately, now he was against me. It wasn't anything new; I'd always been alone in my struggles. Kirin was the only one in my childhood that ever came to my aid. It was actually a blessing in disguise. Being forced to fend for myself meant that I was highly self-reliant. These people were all trying to stop me, but I'd show them just how difficult that can be. Unbelievably, the third presence was my own father. Of course, he'd assumed the role of the dream world's Jecht. Whatever, I didn't need him either. I could feel his guilt, his pity and it disgusted me. I needed no one's sympathy nor did I ever want it. Finally, I grew impatient and started to play the organ, activating the machina.

"Look!" Paine warned.

The lot of them ran away as Vegnagun sprung to life. Its legs uncoiled and grasped the pillar of rock I created for it; its wings opened wide. I played the song of peril, great zeal coursing through me.

It was at this point that my father decided to speak some words of encouragement to them, "Ha, it's just bluffing."

"This relic's getting rusty." The man named Auron added.

"Yuna, you have your friends." Braska finished warmly, comforting his daughter with his voice.

They decided to split up and attack Vegnagun in different parts. The blonde ditz and her team of fools would attack one of the legs. Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal went after me, attacking Vegnagun's chest. Finally, Yuna's group took on, of all the useless things, the tail.

"Bring it on…" I smirked to myself.

While I busied myself, fending off the Crimson Squad's survivors, Vegnagun's automated defenses were holding off LeBlanc. The tail, on the other hand, barely equipped for close range combat to begin with, fell quite quickly. Even with its laser cannon and swiping, I knew that was no match for YRP. It hardly mattered anyway. I wasn't planning on destroying Spira with Vegnagun's tail after all. Fact was, I hadn't even started up the cannon yet. I wanted to see what these imbeciles thought they could do to me. With the LeBlanc Syndicate embarrassing themselves to no end, Yuna chose to come to their aid.

"I'll let you have this one. I'm going to cheer Noojie on." The ditz exclaimed once YRP arrived, trying to sound as cocky as ever despite being so weak.

I really had no idea why Nooj would have ever fallen in love with her. She came with her two goons and tried to fight Vegnagun's chest with the rest of the Crimson Squad, but I sent a missile into those two buffoons and she came in alone, adding about a pinprick's worth more damage. I knew Vegnagun was weakening, though. I knew that the Crimson Squad weren't pushovers, Nooj especially. However, they didn't realize that Vegnagun wasn't even fully operational yet. I was saving that for just the right moment to make them realize the futility of this fight. Still, while I amused myself with them, Jecht kept giving hints on how Yuna's group could handle the leg.

"You can read its moods. Watch those colors!" He'd say.

What a great father. He'd rather come to the aid of strangers, of outsiders, than help his own son. Whatever… I never needed him in the past and I sure didn't need him now. Eventually, however, they shut down that one leg…

I think Nooj and the rest of them started to tire by that point, what with Gippal groaning, "This thing just keeps ticking."

Obviously, Paine came to their rescue. They took over the fight for the weary. Yuna stayed Gunner, Rikku went to Samurai, and Paine changed to Dark Knight. They started to attack the legs and nodes, trying to take them out before going directly for the core.

"Forget the small fries, go for the core. The core's your target." My father informed them.

Of course, following his suggestion, all three of them reconvened on the core. 'Thanks pops.'

As Gunner, Yuna kept using Trigger Happy on it, the bullets doing barely any damage, but with each proceeding shot doing a little more damage than the previous. The heavy damage came from the Dark Knight's Dark Sky ability. Rikku's Fireworks did some hurting, also. I used the legs and whacked the blonde into Yuna, knocking them both off their feet. Unfortunately, Paine cast one last Dark Sky and Vegnagun's core exploded, spreading fire all over the machina's body.

Vegnagun collapsed onto the surface of the pillar, seemingly dismantled. "What now?" Paine asked.

The others rejoined the Gullwings and Rikku looked around, "Maybe it's over?"

I turned to look at them, "Is it really?" I felt amused that they'd think so little of the behemoth.

"Baralai!" Nooj screamed.

Quickly, I turned back to the organ, "Yes, this world is over!"

I played the organ again, this time alternating the tone of the melody to signal for the cannon. Vegnagun revived and roared back into operation. The mouth opened wide and the cannon extended from it.

"Come, Vegnagun. Let us purge this repulsive world!" I exclaimed to the beast, starting to charge its power gauge.

Yuna, Paine, and Rikku climbed up one of the legs and prepared to attack again. This time, they'd see the true power of this machina's defense.

"The only fayth you need is faith in yourself." Braska cooed, trying to boost his daughter's confidence.

'How's this for a confidence booster?' I played a short melody and Vegnagun attacked with its Lacrimosa ability.

The group received major damage as I commented, "The end now begins."

"If Vegnagun fires, it's all over. You have to stop it now, there is no overtime!" Jecht warned, trying to get the girls back on their feet.

They started coming at me again, the samurai using Zantetsu to destroy one of Vegnagun's horns. The Dark Knight used Darkness to heavily damage the other horn and Yuna used Trigger Happy, destroying it. _Who were they kidding?_

"Mine is the power to crush Spira's despair!" I exclaimed, showing my defiance.

Vegnagun struck the girls with Flare, one of the more powerful spells in a Black Mage's arsenal. Even though the attack was devastating to them, they wouldn't give up. They wanted to stop me, wanted me to fail again, but I'd not lose so easily. They started aiming at Vegnagun's head, beginning to do damage to the internal systems. It didn't matter. Within a minute, Vegnagun would be ready to fire.

"At last, Spira will be cleansed." I shouted loudly, making sure I was heard.

'Did you hear that dad? Vegnagun's practically ready to fire.'

Before the end, I decided I'd make the girls suffer for their insolence a little more. Playing the correct chord, I commanded Vegnagun to use its most powerful attack: Nemo Ante Mortem Beatus, no bliss before death. The power of the machina completely overwhelmed both Yuna and Paine, but Rikku hung on for all it was worth, changing to Berserker. It really didn't matter.

"I've won…" I quietly whispered.

All of a sudden, the keyboard started to flicker and it seemed Rikku was doing more damage than I thought she could, "That a girl! The tides are turning."

I frantically tried to keep playing, the sounds starting to die as Vegnagun began to succumb to all of her advances. Then, Rikku changed once again to White Mage. While bombarding Vegnagun with non-stop Holy attacks, the Al Bhed girl also revived both Yuna and Paine, which was a problem. I would need to finish this soon or else… I needed to finish. I checked the power gauge for the cannon: _100_.

'YES!'

"Now, Vegnagun! Fire!" I screamed, commanding the machina to shoot the Farplane core.

It rattled a bit, but did nothing. No… They'd beaten it… Explosions flared up all around me and I was forced to abandon the cockpit. I hit the platform under Vegnagun's face hard, my mind going into a daze.

I couldn't really make out much of anything. My eyes were still cloudy and I could only sense one thing: Lenne's presence.

"Shuyin…" I thought I heard her say. I looked on, barely able to keep myself on my feet.

"Lenne?" I asked, trying to stop the spinning.

"I need to tell you something that I should have said a thousand years ago." She continued to say, pausing for a moment before proceeding, "Thank you… You stayed with me until the end. I'm so grateful."

"But I couldn't even save you." I murmured, wondering why she would thank me for dying with her.

"That doesn't matter to me. Please stop regretting what's past all alone." She replied, extending a hand, "Rest."

I didn't know what to think. For a thousand years, I'd thought she'd never want to face me because I'd failed her. Could it be that she never wanted to be saved… never wanted to be avenged? I knew Baralai had had enough. Even if I was going to continue my plan, I'd need to use someone else. I released him from my control, allowing his weakened body to collapse onto the floor behind me.

Returning my attention to Lenne, I reached out to her, steadily walking closer to my love, "Can we finally fade… together at last?"

Still, as I drew nearer, something was wrong. Lenne's eyes started to change to a green and blue. Her hair started getting shorter… She almost started to look like…

"No…" I muttered, realizing I'd been tricked.

"Wait!" She pleaded, the filthy wretch that she was.

"You are NOT Lenne!" I growled, clenching my fists.

I unsheathed my sword and readied myself for battle. She thought she could fool me… She was wrong… dead wrong.

"You just don't get it, do you?" Rikku growled, the first time I ever heard her spite.

"_I want you to cut out her heart and squish it. Give the rest of her to me." She had growled. I'd never heard so much bloodlust in her voice in my entire life._

No…

"Shuyin, please stop this!" Yuna exclaimed, as if I would listen to her treachery ever again.

"You're the only ones who can stop him!" Braska stated.

'Only ones? I don't think so. The only person who can stop me is Lenne… and she's not here to save you, Yuna…' I glared at her, the treacherous witch. It made her tremble somewhat. I knew that my eyes were darkened greatly, overwhelming hatred and rage boiling inside.

"Stay focused!" Jecht commanded, making sure Yuna didn't lose her footing.

'Whatever she does won't matter soon enough…'

Without warning, I sped at them, slicing apart Rikku's sword and elbowing Yuna in the throat. Rikku quickly sphere-changed to her Machina Maw and once Yuna stopped choking, she too went into her special dressphere. Paine followed suit, activating Full Throttle, the suit of blades she used to subdue Yojimbo. I didn't wait for them to use an attack. Once Paine finished transforming, I sliced at her wing, cleaving it right off. She tried to send the swords floating above her at me, but I deflected each one, piercing through most of the petals of the Floral Fallal.

Looking at Paine with a vile smirk, I pointed at her, "Be gone!"

Quickly, I made a cartwheel, dodging Rikku's missiles in the process. I flipped into the air and struck down on Paine with my Spin Cut, effectively knocking her unconscious. Yuna tried using her pollen techniques on me, but the damage to her dressphere was too significant. She was forced to change to something else, her Gun Mage Dressphere.

She fired a Super Nova at me, but I absorbed the energy into my sword, "Share my despair!"

I sent the full force of my weapon out at my two remaining enemies. Rikku blocked with the machina, my overdrive tearing it to pieces. Not waiting for the smoke to clear, I ran through, slashing apart the gun Yuna was carrying.

"Put that crybaby to sleep." Jecht mused.

"Don't interfere!" I shouted back, running around those two, slashing countless times.

Rikku slumped to the floor, reverting back to Thief form. Meanwhile, Yuna sphere-changed back to Gunner and shot a few bullets at me. Big mistake… Not only had my overdrive injured her, slowing her movements, bullets weren't anything to use against me. I easily deflected all of her shots, sending them everywhere. Her final two shots came at me and I made sure to make them count. With a single well-placed swing of my sword, I sent them flying into her legs, causing her to kneel before me as pain rippled through her calves.

"Vanish with the rest of Spira!" I screamed, stabbing my sword into Vegnagun and leaping off it.

Surprisingly, Kirin's blitz ball had appeared above me, aiding my overdrive as she had in the past. Starting my flip, I waited until it dropped and then kicked it hard, letting it explode near the two. When I landed, I saw Yuna, her legs bleeding as she stared into my eyes, fear emanating from every inch of her soul. I stalked over slowly, taking in the moment.

When I reached her, I lifted my sword, pointing the blade down at her, "I won't let anyone stand in my way…"

I was about to plunge my weapon through the woman's heart when the other one threw herself over Yuna, "Don't! Please! That's enough!" She yelled at me, holding her arm out as if to keep me away.

Something wasn't right about this. This girl was supposed to be Rikku, but… "Kirin?!"

I blinked a couple times to make sure I wasn't seeing things, but Kirin remained there, pleading with me not to hurt Yuna. I backed off, dropping my sword on the ground and watching it shatter into jagged shards. That look she was giving me… That's Lenne's look… It was how she had looked at me when she was afraid.

'I don't want Lenne to fear me… I…'

Gunshots! I was reliving my death again… Wait…

'No, that bullet was real.'

I looked back at Kirin and saw Yuna, the barrel of her gun fuming with smoke.

"It's almost over, Yuna." Auron told her.

This couldn't be happening…

'What was I about to do?'

I continued to stare at Kirin, watching her as she looked at me oddly. I blinked once more and she wasn't Kirin anymore. She was… Rikku. I'd been beaten by my own heart…

"Shuyin…" Yuna said softly, pity echoing from her voice.

I was searing with anger, "Don't even try to tell me you understand."

I glared at the surface of Vegnagun's cannon, burning with rage at my weakness. I'd failed my friends again… I failed Lenne again…

A bright light shined off in the corner of my eye. I turned towards it and saw my love, encircled by a brilliant yellow aura, the same as that of our sun.

"Lenne?" I asked, not believing what my eyes were showing me.

It couldn't have been her. I failed her again. Why would she want to see me? It was that _Yuna_ again. She was trying to trick me. I growled under my breath and threw my arm at her. Why couldn't she just leave me alone? The woman caught my hand and pulled it toward her chest, cupping it with both palms. At first, I struggled to get her away. But then… I knew that touch…

"Lenne…" It really was her.

"Finally…" She whispered, her voice as soft and silky as I remembered it.

"Yea… It took a thousand years for this to happen." I muttered, my voice cracking from overwhelming joy, tears flooding my eyes.

"As long as we're together, it's enough for me. I want you to know that you've touched me deeply." She cooed, putting my hand on her cheek, "Enough now. End this and come home."

I shook my head gently, "How can I?" I didn't fix the problem yet…

"All of that happened a thousand years ago. Looking back at our mistakes won't do us any good. Stop lingering on in the past." She told me, putting her hands on my shoulders, "Rest now, Shuyin… Together forever?"

I put my hands on my face to wipe away the tears. She was right. I was hanging onto the regret of the past, stuck in my hatred. Life is suffering, but we still live it. No one has the right to decide if it's worth it or not.

"I wrote a new song… I'll sing it for you now." Lenne continued softly to me, trying to ease my pain.

I wrapped my arms around her waist, embracing her warmly. She was too good to me. Alright… enough of this. It's time for me to rest in peace… at last.

"Thank you." I heard Lenne say.

'Yes, thank you, Yuna. I was wrong and you tried to show me that. Despite all I've done to you, you wouldn't give up on me. You did all you could and you brought Lenne back to me. And thank you, Rikku. Your light and you're innocence showed me what I'd clouded my heart from seeing for over one thousand years. If you hadn't bravely done what you did, I'd never have this moment'

I'd never be at peace…


	36. Epilogue

_ Epilogue: Beyond Death_

Pyreflies exuded from our bodies, swirling around us as if to celebrate our reunion. Lenne and I were finally together again after all these long years. Even if it took us on this seemingly endless journey, we were together again. Nothing else mattered. We were being consumed by a brilliant white light, produced by the strongest emotion,: eternal love. Love that spans across the oceans and over the mountains, it could carry our spirits into the next world and transcend even those bounds. I gazed at my beautiful songstress, eyes filled with the greatest amount of joy I'd ever felt not just in these past thousand years, but ever in my life. It had finally happened. I was finally at peace. Lenne and I were reunited… at last…

_** Mata deattara issho ni warai aitai **_

_** Sonna hi ga kuru no wo **_

_** Matte iru kara ne **_

_** Takaramono dakara**_

_I stared at the velvet container bearing its highly valuable item within while thinking about that line the girl had liked. _

"_I love you with all my heart…" It sounded mushy, but mushy was good for what I was about to do. _

"_I love you with all my heart… Lenne…"_

"_Lenne…" I breathed lowly, my mind at a loss from what I had just heard. I couldn't let this happen… I couldn't… _

_ With tears finally freeing themselves from my love's eyes, she made a promise to me, her words breaking my heart into a thousand pieces, "I won't ever leave you, even if I don't make it back…"_

"_I know you've been hiding things from me, shading what you truly feel. I want to let you know that it's okay. I've accepted that you want me to be happy. When you're ready, I know you'll tell me." She said at last, unwavering in her position on the stage. _

"_I'm sorry… I only wanted to keep you from unnecessary distress. I didn't know it was hurting you so…" I replied, keeping my voice down due to shame. I failed to protect her, the delicate purity she once held._

"_Hi there…" A soft voice whispered. I turned to see her, my beautiful songstress, my love. _

"_Lenne!" My eyes opened wide as I saw her. _

_I thought she'd be on her way to Gagazet. She walked up next to me quietly and put a warm hand on my shoulder._

"_What are you doing up so early?" Lenne asked, gazing up at me, her gentle hands pressed against my chest. _

"_I'm waiting for the sunrise. I used to do it a lot when I was still getting over my mom's death. It really helps lift your spirit." I told her. _

"_Can a sunrise do that much?" She asked, reiterating my question about her singing so many months ago. _

_ I looked at her and smiled, remembering that past conversation, "Picture this… The city lights go out one by one. The stars fade. Then, the horizon glows, almost like it's on fire; first in the sea, then it spreads to the sky, then to the whole city. It gets brighter and brighter until everything glows. It's really pretty." _

_ Lenne smiled warmly, moving closer toward me and looking into my eyes, "It must be…" _

_ I smiled back at her and pulled her into an embrace, knowing that soon, she'd be on her way to an imminent demise._

'_I love you Lenne. Even being separated for those thousand years, I've never stopped loving you.'_

_** Meguri meguru hibi no imi wa **_

_** Chanto arun da ne **_

_** Anata to no deai mo **_

_** Soshite kore kara mo sou **_

_** Dounaru ka wa kitto **_

_** Dareka ga kimerun ja nai **_

_** Jibun de mirai ni mukatte aruite iku **_

_When Zodiac dissipated, its purged fayth mouth its gratitude, joining the Farplane in a colorful wave around us. _

"_Lenne…" I murmured in venerable stupefaction. _

"_I don't need to be afraid anymore… I know you'll be there for me when I need you so… I don't have to rely on you all the time." Her words flowed gently amid the pyreflies._

_** Nanigenai anata kara no hitokoto de **_

_** Sonna koto de futari wa **_

_** Hanarete shimatta keredomo **_

_** Otagai ima mo tsuyoku omou**_

"_Child? Fine, I'll be a child. If it means I won't see you or Zanarkand die, then so be it! I'll be the greedy one! Someone has to realize the stupidity of sacrificing yourself for no good purpose!" _

"_No purpose?! I'm going to save Zanarkand! That's a worthy purpose!" Lenne screamed at me, turning her back to me. _

"_Save Zanarkand? And for how long is that going to last? We've tried fighting Bevelle head on! Damusa lost his LIFE because we fought head on! Do you think I want the next body I find to be yours?! We can't keep this war going the way it has been. Nothing'll ever change that way! All we'll be accomplishing is losing more and more lives and FOR WHAT?!" I roared angrily, throwing the sphere at a wall in my anxiety. Lenne gasped at the sound of the shattering sphere._

_** Akaku somaru watashi no hana wo kawaii to iu **_

_** Anata ni deaete hontou ni ureshiku omou **_

_** Takusan no anata to no arubamu tachi mo meeru mo **_

_** Taisetsu na watashi no takaramono dakara **_

"_Oh no. Wait. No. I. The door. I mean. You see. I." Nice speech, huh? _

_She couldn't help but crack up at my nervousness. "You know, you might want to get some speaking lessons." She mused. _

_She was mocking me. I was so embarrassed. _

"_I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to scare you and make you think I was some kind of perverted fan boy." I stated, trying to get back my dignity by using coherent sentences in my speech again. _

"_Well, I won't be afraid of you if you could tell me who you are."_

_It was around 10 o'clock and the two of us just had no energy left at all. "You are so wonderful." Lenne commented, her voice coming out lightly to tell of her fatigue. _

"_Nowhere near as beautiful as your singing."_

_When I got home I thought, maybe I wasn't so foolish to think she was "the one". She and I had only known one another for a little while, but we hit it off rather nicely. I began to wonder if I had a future with her._

"_Um… Can you… tell me… err, where Lenne is?" I knew it was no use. _

_The girl was unconscious from her excitement at seeing me in person. It happened all the time. I sighed at the thought, shaking my head lightly. _

"_I could tell you where she might be." I turned around, knowing whose voice it was and, as expected, Lenne stood right there with her hands behind her and a mischievous look on her face. _

"_Oh really? That would be great. Where is she?" I was never one to pass up on an opportunity to mess around. _

"_Shuyin." She whined, nudging me in my chest playfully. _

"_Oh, so there you are." The both of us laughed and went inside her office._

_** Sugoshita jikan wa sonna ni nagaku wa nai **_

_** Keredo futari no fukasa wa hakari kire nai **_

_** Tada sugi iku omoide **_

_** Sonna fuu ni dekinai **_

_** Anata to no jikan wa nani nimo kaerare nai **_

_Really, what was stopping me from getting married to Lenne? Walking around for thirty minutes aimlessly ended me up standing in front of a jewelry store, staring into space as I continued to process the idea. I loved Lenne… but was it right to just marry her because I was afraid to lose her if we died?_

…_I was trapped between the life lost to me and the death that wouldn't come. Every moment, I felt this familiar anguish, but that wasn't the end of it. With each passing moment, I felt the suffering of every single Spiran throughout the coming Dark Age._

_** Itsuka mata dokokade **_

_** Deatta toshita naraba **_

_** Egao de hanaseru you ni **_

_** Ii koi wo shite mata itsuka **_

_** Atarashii watashi wo mite hoshii **_

"_Shuyin! Are you okay?" I heard behind the wall of the enemy regiment. _

"_Lenne?" _

_Moments later, an axe tore through the lot of them, revealing Foricon, Yunalesca's strongest Aeon. "Blitzer, are you injured?" She asked me, approaching me side-by-side with my love. _

"_Lenne…"_

_** Kamigata wo kaetemo kiduite kure nakatta kedo **_

_** Anata ni deaete hontou ni ureshiku omou **_

_** Shittoshitemo ikara naide **_

_** Dakishimete kureteta **_

_** Sonna yasashi katta **_

_** Anata deshita **_

_A dream of returning to a moment of peaceful pleasure, to have you in my arms, cradling your fragile heart from all the harm that would come. Yes, Lenne… I want to relive that night, too, lying peacefully on your couch without a care in all the world. Complacent with your warmth in my embrace, synonymous heartbeats echoing a lifetime of pleasurable solace. We'll get back to those days of old, Lenne. Just have faith, my angel. We'll go hand-in-hand back to "our worlds"._

'_Thank you for believing in me. I think even I started giving up on the real me. I felt he was weak, that he was why we all died. I was wrong to doubt myself. I'm glad you never stopped seeing the good in me when I could only see the evil.'_

_** Anata to kiita kyoku mo **_

_** Anata to kaori mo kuse mo **_

_** Anata to mita sora mo **_

_** Anata to aruita michi mo **_

_We sang that song, and we sang that song again, and then we sang different songs, and after a while, I did notice that my voice was actually improving. It went from chocobo beak on steel, to chocobo beak on steel covered in thin layer of cotton. _

"_See, you're getting the hang of it. After some more practice, I'm sure you'll be able to sing just as well as I can!" Lenne smiled while proclaiming that to me and I smiled back, quite surprised at myself and the progress I made. _

"_Sure. One of these days, I'll be right up there with ya, singing real emotion to all of Zanarkand!"_

_** Mata deattara issho ni warai aitai **_

_** Sonna hi ga kuru no wo **_

_** Matte iru kara ne **_

"_At last, my love…" I sauntered toward her steadily, slightly disappointed at the fact that Yuna and Baralai had to be present for this. _

"_Is that really you?" She asked me. _

_I ignored Yuna, though, I had to pretend like I was actually talking to her which irked me, "Yes, it's Shuyin. I've waited so long for this, Lenne." _

"_But, I'm not Lenne." She whispered, upset at the fact that I called her by a different name, the name that was important. _

"_Right Lenne? Together we faded from this world, but I returned on my own. I searched for you; I tried for so long. It was during this time that I came to realize something: Spira will never change. They still bicker over nothing and die for those worthless ideals. Enough! I'm through waiting. I have a better solution. Spira will vanish and, when it has, my failures will vanish with it. I will use Vegnagun to make it all disappear." I exclaimed, clenching my fist while I continued to progress towards her, "And we can finally fade away together, but I can't do this alone. Please give me the strength, Lenne…"_

"_Thank you." I heard Lenne say. _

'_Yes, thank you, Yuna. I was wrong and you tried to show me that. Despite all I've done to you, you wouldn't give up on me. You did all you could and you brought Lenne back to me. And thank you, Rikku. Your light and you're innocence showed me what I'd clouded my heart from seeing for over one thousand years. If you hadn't bravely done what you did, I'd never have this moment'_

_** Akaku somaru watashi no hana wo kawaii to iu **_

_** Anata ni deaete hontou ni ureshiku omou **_

_** Takusan no anata to no arubamu tachi mo meeru mo **_

_** Taisetsu na watashi no takaramono dakara **_

"_As long as we're together, it's enough for me. I want you to know that you've touched me deeply." She cooed, putting my hand on her cheek, "Enough now. End this and come home." _

"_All of that happened a thousand years ago. Looking back at our mistakes won't do us any good. Stop lingering on in the past." She told me, putting her hands on my shoulders, "Rest now, Shuyin… Together forever?"_

_Yes, Lenne. Always together, now and forever._

With newfound hope, I gave up my despair. With faith in life, I abandoned my plight. Lenne and I disappeared from Spira, surrounded by that unimaginable light. Together forever… even until the end of time…

_**The End**_


End file.
